Here at Social Progress, we are proud members of Honley Business Association – we are passionate about supporting and engaging with the local community, and are involved with a number of events and causes locally. Recently, we asked Honley Business Association if they would like to feature on our blog, to shine a spotlight on why HBA is an asset to the Honley community. Take a look at what they had to say:
Could HBA turn £10 per month into £’000s for your business?
It’s been a tough 12 months for many business owners. Unless of course, you sell hand sanitiser or manufacture toilet roll. While some industries have thrived, many businesses have been forced, through no fault of their own, to close their doors and either wait for lockdown to ease or adapt their business plan to survive.
Businesses in Honley, however, have an advantage: Honley Business Association (HBA) is behind them.
As it says on the tin, HBA is a collection of local businesses that work together to improve Honley village for the people who live and work there and for those who visit. HBA Chair, Sylvia Sellen, explained:
“Our sole purpose is to help businesses in Honley to thrive. During Covid-19, we kept members updated on the various Government grant and loan schemes, including when and how to apply. We’ve also held virtual information sessions, including one with a hygiene expert who offered advice on how shops and businesses could open safely.”
HBA has also continued to promote local businesses that have remained open or adapted to provide takeaway, collection or online offers.
Giving Honley-based businesses an advantage
In autumn 2020, HBA launched honley.info. This one-stop-shop for people visiting, working or living in Honley, gives local businesses a professional online presence.
Whether a business is run from home or from commercial premises, providing it’s based in Honley, business owners are eligible to join Honley Business Association. Membership costs just £10 per month – that’s less than £2.50 per week – but the benefits can run into the thousands.
Financial benefits and more
For the price of a posh cup of coffee each week, Honley Business Association Members can benefit from:
- A professional profile worth more than £500 on honley.info with professional copywriting and photography.
- Blog worth £100 is offered free to member businesses.
- Access to more than 8,500 mostly local people on HBA social media – What’s Happening In Honley Facebook Page, Honley Community Facebook Group, Instagram & Twitter.
- Networking events and opportunities.
- Promotional events, including the Christmas Light Switch-on and Street Market.
- A voice in how HBA is run and the direction it takes.
- A safer, brighter village – HBA installed CCTV, and decorates the main street with trees, lights flags and flower baskets.
- A better community – HBA surveyed local people about improving the village. As a result Honley Youth Club was born and there are more plans to help people of all ages to flourish.
More sales and valuable leads
These benefits are not just nice-to-haves they generate valuable leads and sales for local businesses.
Since joining HBA, Honley-based electrical specialists, Evolve Electrical, received more enquiries from customers in the local area, improving work-life balance and reducing travel time and costs. Owner David Mooney, said:
“One social media post on Honley Community, telling landlords about the new law requiring checks on electrical installations in rented homes, generated a huge amount of local business.”
It’s surprising who lives in Honley too. Andy Broughton, MD of BrandLink Golf, a golf branding and events company that also sells quality golf equipment and apparel, received an enquiry from a potentially valuable partner based in the North East. He said:
“One of the company’s reps lives in Honley and saw BrandLink Golf on the new honley.info website. We now have a very hot lead that came as a direct result of our Honley Business Association membership.”
With trading through lockdown a tough proposition for many, isn’t it worth giving your business a boost?
What are you waiting for: if you have a Honley-based business and want to benefit from HBA membership, visit honley.info/join-in or email joinus@honley.info.