Action Plan

Project One - Providing an Enhanced Response to Enquiries from Businesses:

The aim of the project is to foster and develop a comprehensive range of activities which have been agreed and can be resourced by the delivery and funding partners for immediate implementation.

This would involve:

• an analysis of existing and previous initiatives locally and elsewhere to establish best practice in the provision of business advice services, including enterprise hubs and gateways and in assisting businesses with regulatory and enforcement matters;
• a review and appraisal of how the partners currently initiate and respond to investment enquiries, with an investigation and follow up into enquiries received in the last year; and
• an investigation into and negotiation of a medium-long term funding package from main partners (and elsewhere)

Project two - Identify specific growth sectors on which to focus

This piece of work is to carry out new research to investigate the potential, feasibility and resources needed/available to develop and support new business areas.

The assessment work should focus on the following areas:

• an investigation of development of sports and leisure and related businesses including links with the football club and healthy living centres;
• an investigation into the potential for business growth in a health related cluster of businesses;
• an investigation of the potential for developing new accommodation and conferencing facilities;
• investigating the viability of development ideas for the media and creative industries sector.

Project three - Define, Develop and Market the Yeovil Product

This piece of work would seek to develop a detailed, agreed and funded action plan to achieve common links and share marketing material which would jointly promote Yeovil as an aid to recruitment and investment

In developing and agreeing the proposals there should be recognition of the need for value for money, the opportunities for 'leverage' and the potential for partner organisations and companies to supply seconded specialists to carry out some of the work, both at this stage and during implementation.

Desired outcomes include:

• a public relations strategy;
• the identification of specific initiatives and opportunities to market and promote;
• a clear means by which leads can be followed up and a delivery process for when, where and how investors can invest;
• having an agreed 'tour' for major potential investors where key aspects of the town will be shown and key 'players' introduced who can act as business advocates for the strengths of Yeovil