Business Cost Reduction Service inc. Energy, Merchant Fees and Water
Levy payers can save on core business costs (energy, merchant fees, telecoms and water) via our independent Business Cost Reduction Service.
Levy payers can save on core business costs (energy, merchant fees, telecoms and water) via our independent Business Cost Reduction Service. To get started, our Savings Team simply need a copy of your recent bills.
These will be analysed in confidence to assess where your business could be saving. To find out more you can call 0333 0156 289 or email Rishi and the team at savings@gosouthampton.co.uk
GO! Southampton represents all businesses providing a united voice on local and national issues.
We represent all businesses, providing a united voice on local and national issues. We continue to lobby on behalf of our members for a safer, cleaner and greener city.
We also lobby for financial support and on issues which impact our businesses
Business rates consultancy support
Business rates consultancy support
The BID is piloting a new free service, in association with leading city surveyor Vail Williams. If you believe you might be paying too much in business rates or that your rateable value or property description is incorrect, please email office@gosouthampton.co.uk. We will be able to link you to an expert at Vail Williams for a free half-hour consultation.
Data - Footfall and Spend
Data - Footfall and Spend
GO! Southampton has worked with Southampton City Council to install footfall cameras across the city centre and district centres. Data will be shared with levy payers regularly via our business bulletins.
GO! Southampton is also working with Beauclair to obtain spend data about the city centre performance, information included in bulletins.
If you need any detailed information to help with internal reviews, please get in touch with us at info@gosouthampton.co.uk.
Job Vacancy Advertising
Job Vacancy Advertising
BID members are able to promote their vacancies on the Southampton Jobs Board: www.gosouthampton.co.uk/jobs. GO! Southampton also promote these vacancies at Job Fairs, Student Fairs and on the social channels.
If you have a live vacancy, let us know by filling out this online form.
Outdoor Dining
Outdoor Dining
We are working with Southampton City Council and other stakeholders on our #SouthamptonInsideOut initiative which aims to make it easier for businesses in the hospitality sector to create/add more outside seating in response to the social distancing and reduced capacity measures due to the pandemic.
GO! Southampton can help businesses with applications for outdoor dining licenses. As part of the application, you will need to provide a drawing to show the layout plan of your proposed area. GO! Southampton can help with this and create the drawings for you. Please email us at info@gosouthampton.co.uk
As well as support with licences we are looking at how businesses can utilise designated spaces within the city away from their premises for extra outdoor trading.
Business Training Hub
Business Training Hub
COMING SOON
GO! Southampton are excited to launch an online training hub for all BID members and their team members. This training hub is full of over 200 courses covering subjects such as Customer Service, Retail Management, Microsoft Excel and Mental Health First Aid. Select a live webinar, at a time which suits your schedule, at work or from home. After completion, attendees are awarded a certificate so they can evidence their personal development.
Southampton's bid to become UK City of Culture 2025
UK City of Culture 2025
Southampton is currently bidding to become UK City of Culture 2025. There is a lot to gain from becoming a UK City of Culture. When Hull was UK City of Culture in 2017 it added £300 million to their tourism market and up to £17 million gross value added to their local economy. Southampton’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2025, if successful, will look to deliver similarly substantial economic, social and cultural impacts.
GO! Southampton fully support this bid and are working closely with the team as an official City Partner. We also seconded Gemma Nichols, our Events & Partnerships Director to work for the Southampton City of Culture bid team, who now works full time as Commercial and Marketing Director.
Find out more about our bid to UK City of Culture here.
Consumer Events
Consumer Events
GO! Southampton works with a range of partners to curate events across the city to attract visitors to the city and to extend their dwell time.
Previous events have included:
Seaside in the Square
Re:Claim Street Festival
Family trails
Christmas Light Switch On
Comedy Central
Coffee Week
Foodie Fortnight
To get involved with future events, please email info@gosouthampton.co.uk and keep an eye on our regular bulletins for the latest opportunities. You can also help shape our future events programme by joining our theme groups.
Business Events
Business Events
GO! Southampton run a number of business events across the year, from project consultations and crime intelligence briefings, to mental health training courses and workshops. Our quarterly City Networking events are in partnership with Unity 101. Check the events calendar to see what is coming up.
Our business bulletins include the latest BID updates as well as local and national news for businesses. This is a great way to stay up to date with the events and training available for you to attend. If you do not receive these (please check your junk) email us at marketing@gosouthampton.co.uk to be added.
GO! Southampton actively supports third-party events that deliver economic benefits for BID businesses and increase footfall into the city.
In 2022, GO! Southampton will support the following events:
UEFA Women's EURO 2022
Southampton Pride 2022
Christmas German Market
ABP Southampton Marathon
Street Art
Street Art
Over the last few years GO! Southampton has been able to animate the public realm but collaborating with local partner agencies, landlords and local artists and designers. We have been able to spruce up vacant property windows, to make them more attractive to potential buys whilst also bringing to life public furniture and spaces. Projects to date have included:
If your have a vacant property or would like to know more about animating your business whilst supporting local artists, email us at info@gosouthampton.co.uk.
Experience
Southampton Business Crime Partnership (SBCP)
Southampton Business Crime Partnership (SBCP)
Our Southampton Business Crime Partnership (SBCP) scheme builds on the work we have achieved to date with our Case File Builders, aiming to create a safer city centre by reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.
The SBCP improves the collation of crime intelligence across both daytime and night-time economies, through our dedicated crime-reporting portal and our new radio scheme in the city.
Access to DISC Levy payers can access DISC, an online portal which has updated information about offenders in the city, alerts on live incidents, community news as well as other local crime intelligence. There is also an events section that highlights available crime related training for businesses and monthly crime intelligence briefings. This platform is exclusively free for levy payers. If you would like to sign up, email sbcp@gosouthampton.co.uk with your organisation’s name and our team will add you to the portal.
Radio Scheme Businesses can hire radios, which will connect you to the City Watch CCTV control room should there be a need for additional visual support or security footage of an incident on a premise. Any calls made via the radios will be picked up by our security team who will be able to provide onsite support if the incident is reported during their working hours. Radios can be hired for £5 + VAT per week, paid in quarterly instalments. For more information about the radios, get in touch with us at sbcp@gosouthampton.co.uk or to hire a radio please contact M.R.S. Communications via email sales@mrscomms.co.uk.
Southampton Hate Crime Network/ Victim Support GO! Southampton is a member of the Southampton Hate Crime Network (Spectrum), a network partnership of over 40 organisations that work together to provide support for Hate Crime victims and helps to raise awareness across the city. Find our more information, and access resources regarding victim support here.
Business Crime Resources We have compiled resources to help businesses keep themselves and their staff safe. See more information here.
Licensing Link
Licensing Link
GO! Southampton runs and manages the Licensing Link network. We host quarterly Licensing Link meetings, which allow the evening and night-time economy businesses to come together with GO! Southampton, the Southampton City Council’s licensing team and Hampshire Constabulary’s licensing team to discuss opportunities to support the sector and ways to overcome challenges.
Access to DISC
Levy payers can access DISC, an online portal which has updated information about offenders in the city, alerts on live incidents, community news as well as other local crime intelligence. There is also an events section that highlights available crime related training for businesses and quarterly Licensing Link meetings. This platform is exclusively free for levy payers. If you would like to sign up, email sbcp@gosouthampton.co.uk with your organisation’s name and our team will add you to the portal.
Licensed venues outside of the GO! Southampton area can join DISC for £150+VAT per annum.
Radio Scheme
Businesses can hire radios, which will connect you to the City Watch CCTV control room should there be a need for additional visual support or security footage of an incident on a premise. Radios can be hired for £5 + VAT per week, paid in quarterly installments, plus a £150+VAT deposit is required for nighttime economy businesses. For more information about the radios, get in touch with us at sbcp@gosouthampton.co.uk or to hire a radio please contact M.R.S. Communications via email sales@mrscomms.co.uk.
Our security team patrol the BID area and support businesses seven days a week, including vehicle patrols. Businesses can contact the team on 07725 737236 or through the Southampton Business Crime Partnership radio scheme. Their working hours are Monday - Saturday 10am to 8pm and Sunday 11am to 5pm.
Cleaning and Environmental Reporting
Cleaning Service
GO! Southampton’s cleaning team works in partnership with Southampton City Council to provide
additional services that go above and beyond the statutory duties of the council. This includes hot washing of doorways and graffiti removal.
Our rangers have quickly become an identifiable and valuable city centre resource. Their work includes:
Reporting city centre issues in public spaces to key partners and stakeholders
who can act on them (e.g. Southampton City Council and Hampshire Constabulary).
Carrying out visits to our levy payers to let them know about BID initiatives and how they
can get involved.
Welcoming visitors to Southampton and offering city centre information.
Acting as human signposts, directing people to where they need to get to.
Gathering data of customer profiles and how the city centre is being used.
GO! Southampton has partnered with Southampton City Council to offer savings* on your business’ dry mixed recycling and to help reduce the levels of general waste reaching landfill.
BID levy payers will benefit from:
Significant savings on dry mixed recycling rates
A reduction in general waste through increased recycling
Customer-focused crews providing a friendly and helpful service
Dedicated recycling waste collection crew
Local employees with local knowledge
No hidden charges – bins provided free of charge
Fully licensed and legally compliant waste carrier and disposal agent
As more businesses will be starting to reopen in the coming months, now may be the ideal time to assess your costs and sign up to our scheme to help save your business money which can support your recovery.
Levy payers signed up have saved on average £1,048 per business on their recycling costs.
Start saving in 3 simple steps
Sign the Waste Transfer Agreement with Southampton City Council
Send the signed agreement with required ID
Sign up for scheduled collections
Containers and Collections
The type of container and frequency of collection will depend upon the needs of your business. We offer a range of sizes and quantities of bins. Our bins will be supplied as part of the agreement with no additional hire charge and they will be replaced if damage is caused due to normal wear and tear.
Quote: We will send you the latest prices for the Southampton City Council’s waste recycling service – including confirmation of your potential savings.
Complete: If interested, we will send you a Waste Transfer Agreement and Direct Debit form to complete, where you will have to select the bin size, preferred day of collection, collection frequency (daily, weekly or fortnightly) and number of collections. You will also need to provide copies of the relevant ID.
You can also sign up for residual waste and glass collections at the same time, if you want one supplier for all the services.
Collections: Southampton City Council will process your application. They will then begin collecting/ continue collecting your recycling, at the lower price.
GO! Southampton does not receive referral costs. We will not push you to sign up. We just want to offer you savings. If you would like to join, return the form.
*Savings available for GO! Southampton levy payers only. Caps and fair use policy apply.
FAQ
Can I pay annually?
The GO! Southampton discount makes the yearly cost extremely low and we are often asked if this can be paid in one go. Yes, this is possible. Once you have received the first invoice, you can call the number on the invoice and put down a payment on your account. These funds will sit on your account and come off month by month as invoices are raised. You will need to call the debtors team and speak to an agent to do this as it would confuse the system if you tried to do this online.
Testimonials
Caroline French
Managing Director, W. J. French & Son “I am really happy with the Recycling scheme. For £4 a week we get a large 1100L recycling bin that is collected weekly and excellent value for money.
Its great to know that we can be more of a sustainable business and it frees up the space in our general rubbish bin which is more cost effective.”
*Prices quoted above are correct as of June 2021.
BID members are entitled to a 50% saving off their dry mixed recycling costs.
Email us at recycling@gosouthampton.co.uk to sign up or for more information.
Marketing
Visit Southampton Promotion on Website and Social
Promote your business through the Visit Southampton channels and reach millions of visitors.
GO! Southampton, in partnership with Southampton City Council, run and manage the Visit Southampton channels, the primary destination platform for Southampton. Through these channels we can support consumer-facing levy payers in the following ways:
Submit a free business listing to feature on the Visit Southampton website. Fill out the form here.
To amend your current listing, or for more information about being added, contact info@gosouthampton.co.uk
• Feature your business in a blog post related to a specific theme/holiday which is promoted on our wider channels.
• We can create dedicated social media posts promoting an event, new product, or to simply shout out about how fantastic your business is. We can also reshare your content if you tag Visit Southampton or send us a link
Throughout the year we work on a number of seasonal marketing campaigns which look to raise Southampton’s profile as a visitor destination and showcase the city’s offering during the relevant period.
Within these campaigns we aim to involve as many consumer-facing businesses as we can through paid advertising, competitions, blog posts and much more.
Email us at content@gosouthampton.co.uk to find out how you can get involved in upcoming campaigns to push your product/service to a wider audience
In 2021, GO! Southampton launched a new promotional tool for businesses in Southampton to provide an offer to local residents and workers, in a bid to encourage people back into the city post-lockdown.
The SO card is a physical card that customers can use to redeem offers, discounts, packages and experiences in your business. All offers are hosted on visitsouthampton.co.uk/offers and are completely free for customers and businesses to use. The card ran for an initial three-month trial period (June – August 2021) after which we decided to extend and promote to specific audiences throughout the year.
The card was initially distributed to 117,000 households in Southampton in June, with a digital version available online to download. In September we printed a further 20,000 and promoted the card to the thousands of students who were new, or returning to the city.
This is a fantastic (and free) opportunity for you to not only provide an offer to a wider audience but raise your brands profile to new customers. Using the SO card can also help you can more customers when you are quieter (for example during the week or at lunchtimes).
If you would like to provide an offer, promotion, experience or package for the SO card please get in touch with us at marketing@gosouthampton.co.uk
Photography
Photography Opportunity
For many consumer-facing businesses, especially those in hospitality/retail, having a strong bank of professional photos of their products/services can be key to attracting customers, particularly through their website and social media channels.
We understand that some businesses may not have the resources to facilitate this, so we want to offer our members the opportunity to work with a professional photographer to get them what they need to kickstart their business post-pandemic.
If you are a levy payer in the hospitality/retail sector with no previous professional photography and would be interested in a free-half day photography session please get in touch with Flo Bevis at flo.bevis@gosouthampton.co.uk to discuss further details.
PR Opportunities
PR Opportunities
We are working with PR agency Blakeborough on ways we can reach regional and national audiences outside Hampshire to raise Southampton’s profile as a visitor destination. Activity will be focused around creating meaningful and relevant press releases for national publications, responding to media queries and securing press trips for a variety of different journalists across the year.
If you are interested in hosting journalists in your venue or offering something to them
please get in touch with Flo Bevis at flo.bevis@gosouthampton.co.uk
The So SO Show Podcast
Share your news through the So SO Show Podcast
GO! Southampton is the headline sponsor of the newly formed So SO Show Podcast, a weekly look into all the positive things happening in Southampton. We are sponsoring the podcast under our Visit Southampton consumer brand and have the opportunity to work with the hosts (Zoe Hanson and Simon Clarke) on the content that gets aired.
As part of our partnership, we can feature businesses if there is something 'newsworthy' happening. For example, if a new business is opening, has won an award or has a special event coming up. If you would like to get involved and feature on the podcast please get in touch with our Marketing Manager Flo at flo.bevis@gosouthampton.co.uk
