BID plan feedback from businesses.

This is just some of the feedback we’ve received from Taunton businesses about the BID proposal. It’s great that businesses are getting their heads into the BID plans, and we’re actually amazed how many more people are starting to see BID for what it is; an unnecessary stealth tax on hard working businesses with no tangible benefits. Easier to see why the last Taunton BID failed eh? Thanks to those businesses who have introduced themselves to us recently, and please do keep referring others to us, there’s certainly a growing NO ballot confidence in the air, we’ve got this if those opposed continue to work together for a NO ballot outcome!

Brace yourselves, here we go with some comments we’ve received so far:

The wording is all ‘look to install...’ ‘Explore ways...’ ‘Encourage’. None of this promises anything.

Most of what they suggest should already be council responsibility I feel.

I’ve read the newsletter.. pretty crap really.

They may go and talk to the council about free parking at Christmas, the council say no, and they have ticked a box on their ‘plan’.

I’m still annoyed Morrisons won’t have to pay, where’s the justice in that for us small businesses struggling to keep our heads above water?

It gives a feel of lots of research but no answers / action if that makes sense.

He came in, I put questions to him but he couldn’t answer anything. They clearly don’t have a clue.

He said the vote has to go through first then all business can decide what to spend money on that’s why no costings have been done prior to the vote.

Please emphasise that I feel like I have been bullied and called selfish for voicing my opinion, so in fact BID has split businesses not brought them together.

Did make me angry reading the quotes from ProBID shops i.e. “ I only have to sell an extra 3 cards/week to pay for it”, “I only need to sell another 3 glasses of wine/week to pay for it”, “It’s only the price of a couple of coffees/week to pay for it”.  NOT THE BLOODY POINT I SAY!!

They say they are looking to get businesses to extend their opening hours!!! Just like that! Extra hours = extra costs / wages / time.

Interesting how no mention of money in this, I know you said they are like cowboys but it feels more like a double glazing salesman pitch telling me everything I’ll get for my windows, only to hit me with price at the end.

The biggest single expense will be a BID Manager but they don’t even mention hiring one!

Why the hell do I want to pay towards a big screen TV! Thats really going to attract people to Taunton “ooohh look Taunton has a nice big tele!”

I’ve got my utilities at best prices, do they really think I’m daft enough to think BID will get it a lot cheaper, look forward to their proof of that then.

That map is crazy, can see what you’ve been saying about it being manipulated. So there are businesses literally across the street or next door to each other, but one will have to pay and one won’t. Should be the whole of Taunton or not at all - one for all, and all for one and all that.

Someone told me that even if I vote no I will still have to pay BID if it gets voted in, is that right? and she also told me if I don’t pay they will take me to court and get the bailiffs on me.

After reading the newsletter I’m more determined than ever to convince other businesses on my street to vote no.

Seems like they don’t trust the council, so are we really going to be cleaning inspectors and make sure the council standards for street trading and markets are better? Are they bad already? Seems like I’m going to be paying to make sure the council do the job they should be doing.

I’d be embarrassed if I was Taunton Chamber of Commerce, some of the suggestions BID have come up with makes the Chamber look useless if they haven’t been doing this already!

He just couldn’t tell me how BID will benefit my business.

The crime bit is a joke. Considering the problems Taunton has there’s nothing there.  If I gave one of my staff a radio I’d make sure they were trained to use it, are they really saying there are businesses handing out security radios without training people how to use them?  So I’m going to have to pay because another shop can’t be bothered to train their staff on kit they give them?

They don’t need best part of 300 grand to do all this talking, negotiating, encouraging and looking at.

The council are going to love this, we can now really see how they will benefit from us picking up the tab for the town.

Having read these comments go back and read the business plan proposals yourself again, and if you would like to add to this growing list of feedback please do HERE.

Here are more of our business plan response articles for you to read.

Click on image to download our 8 page PDF booklet (opens in a new window).