Frome Town Council has been piloting a scheme to offer local businesses a review of their working practices.
The review covers core business practices and also looks at how businesses can be green and socially engaged. Participating businesses receive a short confidential report and there has been some excellent feedback and follow on activities.
Councillor Jean Boulton said, “We’ve come across some really good examples of good practice. These include Greener Lettings who work proactively with landlords to increase energy standards; Frome Wholefoods who minimise packaging waste from suppliers, Harris and Harris who pay their student placement each year, Cleaning Enterprise who proactively work with their business clients to encourage them to join the Living Wage Foundation and to recycle their waste and CIL Management Consultants who, following our visit, wrote and implemented an environmental policy.”
Councillor Peter Macfadyen said, ‘We wanted to commend one small business in particular who we felt had examples of good practice in all three categories – economic, environmental and social. The good business reports were scored and out of those we have worked with, Frome Tech was chosen.
“We were particularly impressed that they use a business coach and have developed a clear 5-year plan with regular targets, take on apprentices and provide IT education through Community Education, they work collaboratively with competitors, and they re-use and recycle a wide range of computer equipment (for them and their clients) which would otherwise end up in landfill.”
If you would like to take part in the initiative and have a ‘good business’ meeting, please contact Anna Francis: francisa@frometowncouncil.gov.uk