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High Street Foundation

Rochdale Borough High Street Foundation  

The Rochdale Borough High Street Foundation was launched on 15 February 2012 by Reggae Reggae star Levi Roots. Over 135 local high street businesses attended the launch event which was a hugely inspirational and motivational evening.

High Street Foundation Board

The High Street Foundation will be driven by a board of local businesses to work with Rochdale Council to develop initiatives that will support the future of our high streets. Meetings will initially be held on a bi-monthy basis, with the first meeting being held on Wednesday 29 February, 6pm - 7.30pm at Rochdale Town Hall. If you would like to join the High Street Foundation Board, please get in touch.

High Street Foundation Masterclasses

Working with the National Skills Academy for Retail, we are offering a range of exciting and bespoke masterclasses for our high street businesses. Most of the courses are free of charge. The full training programme is available to download and further details on all of these courses are listed below.

The Mary Portas Guide to Successful Retailing

An inspirational programme for shop owners and managers

Driving Sales through Marketing
Monday 12 March, 6pm – 9pm, Middleton Arena

Buying & Visual Merchandising
Monday 19 March, 6pm – 9pm,  Middleton Arena

Retail Business Planning & Finance
Monday 26 March, 6pm - 9pm, Middleton Arena

Exclusively delivered through the National Skills Academy for Retail and part-funded by Rochdale Borough Council, the Mary Portas Guide to Successful Retailing covers every stage of creating and running a successful retail / service business.

Each 3 hour master class has an invaluable set of hints and tips to improve the performance of all retailers / service traders.

Cost: Independent traders £25 per delegate per course, national stores £85 per delegate per course.

Theirry Bayle Masterclass
Managing Stock & People

Tuesday 13 April, 12pm - 5pm, Unique Enterprise Centre

Theirry Bayle is a leading retail specialist with over 18 years industry experience. This inspirational master class will focus on your two greatest assets: Stock and People.

Merchandising planning – learn the art of knowing what to buy, how to buy and when to bring it in. Increase your sales and minimise discounting.

People management – ensure you have a clear vision for your business and that it is understood by all your team.

To grow a business you need to optimise the contribution that your merchandise and staff can bring, but you also need to set up the right management process.

Cost: FREE to all Rochdale borough independent retailers / traders. £25 charge per delegate for national traders or businesses outside of Rochdale borough.

Making the Most of Your Market

Exclusively for Market Stall Traders

Tuesday 03 April, 10am - 2pm, Rochdale Football Club
Monday 09 April, 10am – 2pm, Middleton Arena

We will be holding a half day workshop specifically tailored to addressing the needs of market traders including:

  • Practical demonstrations on successful visual merchandising
  • Top tips for low cost visual merchandising
  • Marketing your business in challenging times

Each participating business will be provided with workshop notes and a comprehensive list of merchandising suppliers.

Cost: FREE to all Rochdale borough based market traders.

Your Website and How To Sell More Through It

Monday 05 March, 10am - 4pm, Rochdale Football Club

Does your website reflect your business’ vision? Are your online sales slow? This module looks at revitalising your website, increasing your web traffic and most importantly, increasing your online sales.

Cost:Free of charge to Rochdale Borough based businesses. £25 charge per delegate for businesses outside of the Borough.

Social Media & Creating Customer Communities

Wednesday 21 March, 6pm – 8.30pm, Heywood Sport & Leisure Centre

This twilight master class looks at how businesses are using social media as a way to connect with their customers, and how you can engage with your audiences to develop online customer communities to improve your marketing strategy.

Cost:Free of charge to Rochdale Borough based businesses. £25 charge per delegate for businesses outside of the Borough.

Mobile Commerce: The New Revolution

Wednesday 28 March, 6pm - 8.30pm, Heywood Sport & Leisure Centre

It wasn't long ago that online shopping attracted consumers to the Web. Now, the mobile revolution promises to do the same -- providing an "anywhere experience" that boasts the ultimate in convenience.

This new revolution creates a huge opportunity and potential new review stream for many e-commerce businesses. Don’t let your business get left behind. Embrace the m-commerce trend early and create Web-mobile experiences and purchases on the go!

Cost: Free of charge to Rochdale Borough based businesses. £25 charge per delegate for businesses outside of the Borough.

Bookings

To book on any of the above training courses please email: frances.fielding@rochdale.gov.uk or tel: 01706 926700.