Business Focus: Covid crisis' end may be in sight, but Inverness city centre businesses still need support
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by Mike Evans, chief executive of Inverness Business Improvement District (BID)
I write this, my first monthly article, with the welcome news from our First Minister that the war on Covid seems to be coming to an end.
Face masks can soon be dispensed with along with Covid passports and other items we have all endured for some time now, at least on a mandatory level, albeit still advisory.
Meantime, however, Russia has declared war on Ukraine and a third world war, if we follow the national press, is ever more close. Gulp!
I am not quite old enough to recall the Cold War years although I am old enough to have studied it as modern studies.
If I date myself further, I have to confess my first ever vinyl was Chelsea Football Club’s (no I don’t support them) Blue is the Colour and I feel I should use my first “view from the bridge” business bulletin to thank Mike Smith who retired after sterling service with Inverness BID.
I also want to thank the staff at BID – Margaret, Janice and John – for making me feel so welcome as I know they do for all of our members and stakeholders throughout the year in a friendly and positive manner.
Inverness BID has again for summer 2022 successfully worked with Highland Council and the Inverness Common Good Fund to finalise ongoing funding for a variety of significant projects and events to help make the city centre a welcoming and attractive destination for tourists and Highlanders alike as we all seek to come to live in the “new normal”.
It remains a long hard road back, and there will be unfortunate casualties to come, especially as the business rates return in April, and effects of Brexit take their toll on business costs throughout the country, unless our politicians can be persuaded to re-route.
Inverness BID are therefore currently looking at new and innovative ways to enhance and support our city centre businesses and welcome the funding recently announced by government to support the recovery of our city centres via the city centre fund, albeit, more please.
For more information, visit www.invernessbid.co.uk
