Is It Time Councils Sold Street-Name Sponsorship?

Could your local High Street become “High Street: Sponsored by Smith & Co”? 

It might sound strange, but perhaps councils are overlooking a potentially valuable source of income.

Local authorities are constantly looking for ways to raise additional revenue without simply increasing charges or putting further pressure on council taxpayers.

So here's an idea: why not sell sponsorship of street names?

We already accept sponsored football grounds, sporting competitions, festivals, theatres and countless other public events and spaces snd roundabouts. Businesses spend substantial sums putting their names in places where people will see them.

Street signs are certainly visible.

Importantly, we're not suggesting that historic street names should disappear or that residents should suddenly find themselves living at a completely different address.

Instead, the existing street name would remain, with a smaller sponsorship panel underneath:

CHURCH STREET

Sponsored by Bloggs & Co

That distinction is important. Actually renaming streets could cause problems for residents, businesses, postal services, emergency services, mapping companies and numerous databases.

Adding sponsorship should be considerably simpler.

It doesn't have to be big business

This could also be about much more than multinational companies buying prominent locations.

Local businesses could sponsor streets near their premises. Football, cricket and rugby clubs might sponsor nearby roads. Rotary and Lions clubs, chambers of commerce, historical societies and other community organisations could participate.

Imagine a local history society sponsoring an historic street and using a small QR code on the sign to direct visitors towards information about its past.

Suddenly street sponsorship becomes more than advertising, it becomes part of promoting the town.

Let the market decide the price

Not every street would have the same value.

A busy town-centre shopping street would clearly be worth considerably more than a residential cul-de-sac. Councils could create sponsorship bands, perhaps ranging from relatively modest sums for less prominent locations to substantial annual agreements for major streets, squares and pedestrian areas.

Contracts might run for one, three or five years.

Councils could also ring-fence some of the income. Imagine signs stating that sponsorship revenue helps pay for flower displays, street cleaning, public toilets, Christmas lights or maintenance of parks.

Residents could actually see where some of the money was going.

There would need to be rules

Clearly, councils couldn't simply accept money from anyone.

There would need to be restrictions on inappropriate or controversial advertising, protection for historically important signs and sensible limits on the size and appearance of sponsorship panels.

Residents and traders should also have a voice, particularly where prominent or historic locations are involved.

But these are practical issues rather than reasons to dismiss the entire idea.

Local government needs imaginative new revenue streams.

Selling the legal names of our streets might be a step too far.

Selling discreet sponsorship underneath those names, however, could be an idea whose time has come.

Would you be happy to see your street sponsored if the money helped pay for local services – or would you regard it as commercialisation gone too far?

Tell That's Business what you think.

To Start Up or Not Start Up? Asking the Right Questions Before Taking the Leap

“I can do that.” It is a thought that has launched countless business ideas. 

But being able to provide a product or service and building a sustainable company are different challenges.

For anyone contemplating the leap into self-employment, a book by entrepreneur and executive Pantelis Velentzas encourages a pause before committing money, time and energy.

To Start Up or Not Start Up?, published by LID Publishing, explores the questions aspiring founders should ask before turning ambition into action. Its central message is straightforward: enthusiasm matters, but it needs to be matched by preparation, clear thinking and an honest understanding of the journey ahead.

The book groups its questions into seven areas: mindset, opportunity, strategy, money, team, systems and context. Together, these offer a framework for examining both the business proposition and the person preparing to lead it.

Is there a worthwhile opportunity? What resources will the venture require? Who should be involved? And does growing bigger necessarily mean becoming more successful? These are practical considerations that can easily disappear beneath the excitement of launching something new.

Velentzas draws on two decades of experience founding and scaling ventures across European markets, alongside senior executive roles at Hellenic Duty Free Shops and Avolta. His business background includes franchise, distribution and representation partnerships involving brands such as Victoria’s Secret, Hershey’s, Superdry and Korres.

He describes the book as the one he wishes he had read before his first start-up. Rather than offering a rigid checklist, it is intended to support structured reflection on the forces that help businesses succeed or quietly undermine their progress.

His experience also challenges the assumption that every company must pursue rapid expansion. Some businesses achieve success through stable, profitable income while deliberately choosing to remain small. Others may benefit from strategic growth, while some ideas are best reconsidered before substantial commitments are made.

That is a useful perspective for first-time founders, existing small business owners considering expansion, and students exploring entrepreneurship. Investors, enterprise educators, accelerators and incubators are also among the intended readership.

For That’s Business readers, the appeal lies in its emphasis on making a considered decision. Starting a business can be rewarding, but deciding how, when and whether to proceed deserves attention.

Sometimes, the strongest entrepreneurial move is to start confidently. Sometimes it is to grow carefully or stay small. And sometimes, having asked the difficult questions, it is to walk away with your resources intact.

https://lidpublishing.com

Can AI Help Small Businesses Build Stronger Brands?

AI can produce a business name, logo and website in remarkably little time. 

But turning those ingredients into a brand that customers recognise, trust and return to requires more thought.

That is the challenge behind The Playbook for AI Brand Building, launched by Andy Parton, (PICTURED) founder of London AI marketing consultancy Destreza.

Designed for founders and lean marketing teams, the Playbook aims to make the structured brand-building methods used by major businesses accessible to companies with smaller budgets.

Parton brings more than sixteen years of brand-building experience, including roles at Diageo and BAT, alongside more than six years working with AI in marketing.

His central argument is straightforward: promising businesses often struggle because important research, strategy and planning decisions are overlooked. Faster content production alone cannot fill those gaps.

The Playbook begins by learning about the founder and their venture, tailoring examples, calculations and AI briefs to the business. According to Destreza, it can draw on 1,650 possible configurations.

Four foundation modules introduce marketing principles before users work through ten stages: Evidence, Insight, Strategy, Brand, Identity, Connections, Design System, Launch, Retention and Performance Cycle.

Each stage combines learning with practical tasks. Users give prepared briefs to their own AI assistant, such as ChatGPT or Claude, to help research markets, develop models, generate insights and create content.

A useful feature is the instruction for AI to source, date and label claims according to their reliability. That encourages founders to examine the evidence behind recommendations before making consequential decisions.

As they progress, users compile a “Launch Book”, bringing together their decisions, supporting evidence, resulting assets and launch requirements.

For small businesses, the appeal is clear. Many founders have products or services but limited access to marketing support. A structured workflow could help them identify weaknesses earlier and spend their resources more carefully.

However, the launch material’s headline failure statistics draw on different populations and research. They should not be read as a direct comparison or a guarantee of success.

Destreza says the Playbook costs less than its cited £2,500 senior consultant day rate. Buyers need their own AI assistant subscription, so should check the full costs before purchasing.

A free trial requires no payment card and includes the introduction, personalised setup and Stage 01. A 14-day money-back guarantee is advertised.

For founders curious about bringing more discipline to their brand development, that offers a practical starting point.

Find out more at theplaybookfor.ai.

Are Your Disabled Toilet Facilities Up to Standard?

Many businesses proudly display the familiar wheelchair symbol on the door of their accessible toilet.

But when did you last actually go inside and look at the facilities from the point of view of somebody who needs to use them?

Providing an accessible toilet isn't simply a matter of fitting a wider door and a couple of grab rails. 

Poorly positioned equipment can turn what is supposed to be an accessible facility into an obstacle course.

Can people actually reach everything?

One surprisingly common problem is the hand dryer or paper towels are mounted far too high. It might be perfectly convenient for an able-bodied person standing at the basin, but what about somebody using a wheelchair?

The same applies to the soap dispensers, mirrors, toilet paper and emergency cords.

Then there's the washbasin itself. Can a wheelchair user comfortably get close enough to use it? Is there sufficient space underneath? Are the taps easy to operate for someone with limited dexterity?

A beautifully fitted washbasin isn't much use if the person it was supposedly designed for cannot reach it.

Don't use it as a storeroom

Another complaint frequently made about accessible toilets is that they gradually become unofficial storage cupboards.

Cleaning equipment, spare chairs, boxes, highchairs and stock can creep into the room because there appears to be plenty of unused floor space.

Except that space isn't unused.

It is there to give wheelchair and mobility-aid users sufficient room to manoeuvre and transfer safely.

That red emergency cord matters

Emergency pull cords are another area worth checking.

They should be readily accessible to somebody who has fallen to the floor. Yet cords can sometimes be tied up, shortened or tucked away because somebody thinks they look untidy.

An emergency cord that cannot be reached in an emergency isn't doing its job.

Try looking at the room differently

Business owners and managers could carry out a simple accessibility audit.

Either ask a disabled friend to check it out, or sit in a chair and look around the room. Can you reach the soap, taps, dryer and toilet paper without standing up? Is the mirror usable? Could you get alongside the toilet? Could you reach the emergency alarm from floor level?

Better still, ask disabled customers and staff what works and what doesn't. Lived experience can identify problems that somebody following a checklist may never notice.

Accessibility also extends beyond the toilet itself. Is the route to it genuinely accessible? Is the doorway obstructed? Is it kept unlocked and available, rather than requiring customers to embark upon a hunt for the member of staff holding the key?

Accessibility is about people

Businesses can spend considerable amounts of money installing accessible facilities, only to undermine that investment with something as simple as putting the hand dryer six inches too high.

Good accessibility shouldn't be regarded as an inconvenience or a box-ticking exercise. It means considering how real people with different levels of mobility, strength, reach and dexterity will actually use your premises.

So here's a worthwhile challenge for every café, pub, restaurant, shop, office, hotel and visitor attraction:

Go and inspect your disabled toilet today.

Not while standing up and assuming everything looks fine.

Look at it from the position of the people it is actually intended to serve.

You might be surprised by what you discover.

That's Business believes good accessibility is good customer service, and often relatively small changes can make an enormous difference.

Why did I write this post? I visited a restaurant, checked the disabled facilities and thought: "No! This just will not do!"

Could Data Centres Help Heat Our Towns and Cities?

By Bryony Evans, Intermediate Environmental Consultant at chapmanbdsp

When we talk about data centres, we usually talk about electricity: how much they use and how demand for AI and cloud services is increasing the pressure on the grid. 

But there is another side to the story. Data centres also produce heat, much of which is released into the air.

Could that heat help warm nearby buildings?

That is the opportunity behind heat networks. These shared systems carry heat from a central source to buildings such as homes, hospitals, universities and offices. A data centre could supply some of that heat while continuing to provide the digital services on which businesses rely.

The idea is attracting greater attention as England develops heat network zoning. Under the Energy Act 2023, the government has powers to identify areas where networks are expected to offer a cost-effective, low-carbon way to heat buildings. 

It expects zoning regulations to go live later in 2026, with support for at least ten large towns and cities to establish zones soon afterwards.

For data centre developers, that could change an early planning question. Alongside access to power and suitable land, they may need to ask: who nearby could use the heat?

Making the connection is easier said than done. Heat is most useful when there is demand reasonably close to its source. The heat leaving a data centre may also need a heat pump to raise its temperature before a network can distribute it. Pipes cost money, and operators, network providers, councils and building owners need agreements that work over many years.

Timing matters too. A data centre might open well before neighbouring homes or commercial buildings are ready to receive heat. If each development is planned separately, the chance to connect them could disappear.

Heat zoning offers a way to spot those opportunities earlier. By mapping where demand is likely to grow, it can help developers and local authorities consider shared infrastructure while plans are still taking shape.

This will not make every data centre a practical heat supplier. Location, cost and future demand will determine whether an individual project works. But where the conditions are right, capturing heat could give a local community a useful benefit from the growth of digital infrastructure.

As the UK builds more data centres, their heat deserves a place in the conversation from the start.

Bryony Evans is an Intermediate Environmental Consultant at building services and environmental consultancy chapmanbdsp. 

https://www.chapmanbdsp.com

Years ago District Heating was held up as a model method of using industrial waste heat to provide heating for neighbouring homes. Let's hope data centres can re-activate this idea.

Are Your Employees Holding Back Their Best Ideas?

Over four in ten UK adults say their experiences at work have led them to contribute less than they are capable of. 

That is the finding behind this year’s Psychological Safety Week, which runs from 21 to 25 September. The organisers have a name for the problem: Talent Hushing.

Business psychologists Pearn Kandola use the term to describe what happens when organisations fail to hear, recognise or make full use of people’s ideas and abilities. 

It can be as simple as an employee deciding that a suggestion will be dismissed, or that raising a concern will make their working life harder.

According to Pearn Kandola, 43% of UK adults in its July research said they contribute less than they could because of their experiences at work. That figure should make employers pause. 

It does not tell us exactly how much productivity is lost, but it does suggest many organisations may be missing useful contributions from people already on their payroll.

Think of the colleague who spots a flaw in a plan but stays quiet during the meeting. Or the person with an idea for improving customer service who has learnt that suggestions go nowhere. Sometimes the cost of silence is a missed opportunity; sometimes it is a problem that grows because nobody felt able to flag it early.

Professor Binna Kandola OBE, Pearn Kandola’s co-founder, warns that employees may hold back when they believe their ideas will not be heard or that staying quiet is safer. 

He suggests the scale of the finding could make Talent Hushing a national productivity issue.

For managers, the first step is to look at what happens after someone speaks up. Are questions welcomed? Are concerns taken seriously? When a suggestion cannot be adopted, does anyone explain why? Inviting feedback means little if staff repeatedly see it ignored.

Psychological Safety Week is offering free online sessions and resources on leadership, trust and the conditions that help people contribute. This year’s headline sponsor is Personnel Today. The remaining live sessions include discussions of whose ideas get heard and how teams handle disagreement.

Employers and individuals can register for free through the Psychological Safety Week website. It could be a useful prompt to ask a deceptively simple question: whose ideas are we currently missing?

https://www.psychologicalsafetyweek.com

Are Your Premises Still Too Loud?

We’ve raised the issue before on That’s Business: why do so many shops, shopping centres, pubs, cafés and restaurants insist on being so loud?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be going away.

Background music can help create an atmosphere. In the right circumstances it can make a shop feel welcoming or give a restaurant or bar some character. 

But there is a considerable difference between pleasant background music and noise which forces customers to raise their voices simply to hold a conversation.

And music isn't the only culprit.

Hard floors, bare walls, exposed ceilings and large expanses of glass may look fashionable, but they can create highly reverberant spaces where conversations, clattering crockery, coffee machines and other everyday noises combine into an exhausting wall of sound.

As we’ve mentioned in our previous posts about noisy retail premises, shopping centres and eating places, this isn't merely about personal preference.

For people with hearing difficulties, tinnitus, sensory sensitivities or certain disabilities, excessively noisy premises can be particularly difficult. Older customers may also struggle to distinguish conversation from background noise.

On a personal note, I use hearing aids, and I know first-hand that they don't necessarily solve the problem. 

In some very noisy environments they can actually make matters worse. Instead of simply making the person I'm talking to easier to hear, they can also pick up and amplify background conversations, music, clattering plates and other surrounding sounds. The result can be a confusing jumble of noise in which following a conversation becomes extremely difficult.

That's worth remembering when businesses assume that customers with hearing loss can simply turn up their hearing aids and carry on as normal. Modern hearing aids can be remarkably sophisticated, but they cannot always compensate for a badly designed or unnecessarily noisy environment.

There is a business issue here, too.

If customers cannot comfortably talk to each other, hear staff or concentrate on what they are buying, how long will they want to remain on the premises?

A restaurant might spend thousands of pounds creating a beautiful interior and developing an excellent menu, only to undermine the experience with excessive noise. 

A retailer may carefully train staff to provide good customer service, yet customers can't properly hear what those staff are saying.

And what about employees?

Customers can leave. Staff may have to endure the same noisy environment for an eight-hour shift. Businesses therefore need to think about noise as both a customer-experience and workplace issue.

The good news is that reducing noise doesn't necessarily mean turning somewhere into a library.

Businesses could start by actually measuring sound levels at different times of day rather than relying on impressions. Managers should also experience the premises from a customer's perspective: sit at a table, walk around the shop or try having an ordinary conversation. You could even look at hiring a specialist noise consultation who is a member of the UK Association of Noise Consultants     https://www.association-of-noise-consultants.co.uk

Simple changes can help. Turn background music down. Introduce sound-absorbing materials where appropriate. Consider acoustic panels, soft furnishings and better positioning of speakers and noisy equipment. Most importantly, ask customers and staff what they think.

There is nothing wrong with a lively atmosphere.

But when lively becomes uncomfortably loud, businesses risk driving away the very people they are trying to attract.

Perhaps it's time to ask a very simple question:

Are your premises still too loud?