Georgie Weeks

The GFSB Board has actively been attending and making representations to Ministers and key Brexit negotiating parties through the Cross Frontier Group (CFG). The CFG has corresponded with UK, Spanish and EU representatives.

The CFG comprises of what would normally be polar opposites. Labour unions and business organisations lobby key representatives by consensus. Blythe Reeves has been the GFSB lead and representative attending meetings mostly in Spain. The most recent meetings have been with MP Enrique Santiago from the political party Unidas Podemos and Regional Delegate of Employment and Economic Development Alberto Cremades. The GFSB and CFG continue to press negotiating parties to ensure fluidity of persons at the frontier and a favourable Brexit Agreement.

These codes will serve as best practice guidance for businesses that retail goods to ordinary end consumers.

While it is noted by the OFT that most reputable retailers in Gibraltar already largely abide by the principles set out in the code, the code’s introduction will bring much needed clarity for both businesses and consumers should disputes arise from purchases. In particular, it will assist in terms of expected redress outcomes and timeframes for this. This certainty should in turn avoid the escalation of disputes between consumers and businesses as the code is designed to codify silent areas of existing legislation.

The code of conduct is accessible from the Office of Fair Trading’s website (https://www.oft.gov.gi/documents/codes-of-conduct). The OFT is inviting any businesses that wish to receive further guidance on the code to contact the OFT’s Consumer Protection Team. The OFT will be able to deliver a presentation on the principles of the code should enough interest be generated by the sector for this.

The Consumer Protection Team can be reached as follows:

Tel: 20071700

Email: consumer.protection@gibraltar.gov.gi 

Website: www.oft.gov.gi

• Retailer
• Real Estate Agents
• Businesses_handling_client_monies
• Tourism_Service Providers

The GFSB Board is looking for a new Office Manager. Please see the details of the role below and please emails us if you are interested.

WORKING HOURS: The post holder will be required to work a 37.5 hour working week Monday to Friday (flexible 9-5.30 pm)

SALARY: Up to £25,000 (dependant on experience)

The ideal candidate will:

Take proactive responsibility for the smooth running of a small, dynamic office where your professionalism, initiative and office skills will be welcomed.  You will have plenty of room to be creative and the GFSB Board is always open to new ideas.

Your full-time role will include providing a full range of office management duties including:

• Day to day running of the office and GFSB membership
• Provision of admin support to the Board of Directors
• Staff management
• Financial management
• Event management
• Marketing, communication and management of IT infrastructure 

This is an autonomous role, and you need to be comfortable being independent and making decisions under the guidance of the Board of Directors.  This position will suit you if you have excellent interpersonal and presentational skills and office management experience.  You need to be self-directed and have organisational and problem-solving abilities.

Applicants must have:

• Extensive administrative experience, including financial and electronic marketing
• Excellent IT skills – proficient in the use of Google Drive and/or Microsoft office and an ability to use new or unfamiliar software 
• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills
• Effective negotiating and influencing skills
• Excellent customer service skills and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to prioritise workload and use initiative

Applications outlining qualifications and demonstrating how your experience and skills match the job requirements are due by Wednesday 30th March 2022.

Please submit your CV and cover letter by email to gfsb@gfsb.gi or call 20047722

A full job description can be found at this link –Office Manager job description.

The Business Improvement District is inviting expressions of interest in the Project Head role. The Project Head role will provide leadership and day-to-day management of the BID Company, working in association with relevant agencies and service providers. The postholder will ensure that the BID Business Plan is delivered in a professional, accountable and cost-effective manner.

A full job description can be found on https://mainstreetbid.com/careers/

To apply, please email a copy of your CV to Mo Aswat, BID Project Director, at mo@themosaicpartnership.co.uk.

Twenty four representatives from a variety of different small businesses in Gibraltar took part in a speed networking event hosted by the GFSB on Wednesday 17th November 2021. The popular local event that occurs twice a year was hosted at the Sala Restaurant of the Sunborn Hotel and the guests were able to enjoy a breakfast of pastries, fresh juices, tea and coffee whilst discussing their various business ventures.

After the initial introductions, attendees of the event had the opportunity to converse with each other for three minutes at a time, allowing everyone to be able to introduce themselves and their businesses to a wide variety of different people across different industries. There was also an opportunity to exchange business cards before moving on to the next table to meet the next person.

The event’s organiser, Stuart Byrne reflected on the success of the event, stating that “our speed networking event is designed to help our members’ branch out and network with new people and learn about their businesses.” He then went onto describe the variety of different businesses in attendance, explaining the unique mix of attendees that really allow the event to thrive and be lucrative for all involved, “some are start-ups and don’t have those essential pre-existing connections, some have come from other nations and need to build those relationships with people who know the Gibraltar market and some are locals who just want to branch out and find out about the other local and global businesses based within Gibraltar.”

When asked why he believed the event encourages a lot of attendees to come back each time, he mentioned that “the event has great food and drink and is always fun and enjoyable for all involved. It takes place two times a year and is a great opportunity to meet a variety of different people and find out about lots of other businesses in a short space of time, without this event it would have taken people a long time to make those same connections.”

Once the speed networking part of the event had concluded, there was then the opportunity for people to network further if they wished, allowing the opportunity to deepen those connections formed during the initial meeting. The event also allows for the prospect of business collaboration having had the chance to get to know each of the different businesses and their representatives, the final portion of the event allows the attendees to reflect on potential gaps within their own business operations and areas where collaboration could be pertinent to future success.

Some of the attendees include representatives from industries such as accountancy, insurance and sustainability.

After the event, I asked some of the regular attendees why they decided to come back to the GFSB speed networking event each time. Carmel Khalilian, the founder and director of The GreenCode which helps organisations to conduct business operations based on environmental policy, said that she returns to the event each time because it’s “a great space for inspiring innovation,” and when asked what she believed the core purpose of the event was, she stated that “it’s about bringing together different experts.”

She went onto talk about the fact that each time in attendance at the event brings something new to her business and new people to meet, “it’s so cool to have seen more new faces, it’s a pleasant surprise. It’s fun to get to know lots of people in a short period of time. It works well for new businesses and helps you to see how your networks can connect in different ways. It’s also great that it allows smaller businesses to reach out of the Gibraltar bubble and meet global companies.”

Similarly, representatives from the Beacon Press agreed that “3 minutes is the right amount of time to build connections and make an impression. It was great to see so many new faces attending the event this time.”

As well as attendees experienced in speed networking, Wednesday’s event also attracted a number of people new to the event, with the majority stating that it is their first time coming to a GFSB event with the pandemic stopping people from meeting in person. They believed that as new businesses setting up in Gibraltar, being able to connect with people face to face has been invaluable.

David Oxley, a HR consultant at Oxley HR services was a first time speed networking attendee and stated that “being able to connect with so many other people within business has been so valuable” for him. He also said that he believes events such as the GFSB speed networking “helps to get people out of their shell.”

The event was very well received by all who attended and attendees spent the last of the time networking and socialising with people that they had enjoyed meeting in the three minute timeframe. No two speed networking events are the same and there are always new people to form connections with.

In 2018 the GFSB commissioned a study of Main Street and its surrounding area to ascertain if there was anything that could be done to help businesses. This was an important exercise to know where the high street was and where it could go. The Main Street Review highlighted a number of things that could be done to improve the whole area for both locals and tourists. The best mechanism for this type of change was with the forming of a Business Improvement District (BID) which have proved very successful in the UK and USA.

The GFSB agreed that a BID would be a great way to move forward, to accomplish some of the findings/recommendations the Main St Review proposed, and spoke to Mosaic Partnership one of the UK’s leading BID implementing firms. Once a budget and plan was put together, the GFSB approached Government to help fund it, which they did. This gave the project the momentum it needed to get started. The Government then later committed to matching pound for pound the contributions made by retail and leisure.

Fast forward past COVID and all the other challenges, to last week, where Isola’s gave the all-important announcement that the BID vote had been successful with over 60% majority voting in favour.

The GFSB is very proud of this initiative and all the work that has been going on behind the scenes for nearly three years to get to this point. Now it is no longer a GFSB project but becomes its very own entity. We truly believe that the BID will propel Main Street and the surrounding area forward.

Congratulations to the BID team, and thanks to the Government for their support.

The GFSB will continue to support the BID and any other initiatives it feels will benefit GFSB members and Gibraltar PLC.

GFSB Chairperson Julian Byrne said “When I took on the responsibility of Chairperson I had a clear goal in mind, and that was to do all I could to improve business for our members. One of the first tasks was to tackle the city centre, so we commissioned the Main Street review. This was supposed to be a one year project, but it was clear from the findings that more was needed and that the BID would be the way forward. The GFSB has been hard at work behind the scenes to get the BID to a point where it runs itself. It is great to see the strong BID team and how they are moving the project forward, and how many businesses are backing the BID. We are also grateful for the Government’s support.
Overall a great success for the GFSB, the BID and Gibraltar!”

Big thank you to Wally’s Social, Beacon Press and Aphrodite Beauty for kindly donating prizes for the InTouch Magazine Competition. Look out for the next competition in our Winter Edition OUT SOON.

Congratulations to our winners Esther Benamor and Nicholas Morgan.