For the third consecutive year, PRP will be running its own local business awards ceremony. This is because PRP is committed to rewarding and openly recognizing the achievement of local businesses as well as to promoting Park Royal as a key business destination. Our Business Awards Ceremony, will take place on 02 December at the timeless and elegant Hurlingham Club, as part of our Annual Dinner! PRP invites entries from local businesses to the following award categories:

- Most Innovative Idea

 Most Innovative Idea Award Proposal 2010.pdf

- The 'One' to Recognise

 The Park Royal 'One to Recognise' Award Proposal.pdf

- Best Employer

 Best Employer of the Year Award Proposal 2010.pdf

- Best Customer Care

 Best Customer Care Award Proposal 2010.pdf

- Green Business  

 Green Business of the Year Award Proposal 2010.pdf

Rumour has it that Park Royal has its very own Special Agent Bond...that's James Bond - who is now working on a new top secret operation entitled ' From PARK ROYALE with Love'.

We've got our eyes on Bond who we have just been spotted  with Pussy Galore at North Acton Station - a stunning blond and a damn good pilot who is immune to Bond's charm! They are heading to the PRP HQ to receive instructions about their new operation. Do you want to find out who the PRP Bond is and what his secret operation is?

Receive regular updates on Bond's mission and whereabouts, by following us and meet more of our special agents to uncover his top secret operation in autumn 10.

For all businesses customers are key. Economic conditions are still difficult, so it's more important than ever to ensure existing customers continue to buy your product or service and that you are doing everything you can to attract new business. Companies that don't increase turnover each year are shrinking in real terms.It's vital to be well informed, not only about the industry and market you are competing in but also about your potential customer base. For those just starting out, it may seem tempting to throw your energies into an exciting venture and put the 'boring' research to one side until later, but this is likely to prove a costly mistake. Look at the viability of what you're selling; consider who to target in terms of the socio-economic demographic and understand that those people will be purchasing both now and in the future. Decide whether to offer an online or retail resource, and think about the added value that people are looking for and how to get them to make a repeat purchase.

A company that plans the following guidelines and benchmarks into its business – and makes them happen – will always succeed, particularly when coming up against those that don’t.

Breakeven point

Breakeven consists of fixed costs divided by gross margin. The strength of a business can be calculated on a scale of breakeven points:

• Above 90% = suicidal
• From 80% to 90% = vulnerable
• From 70% to 80% = strong
• Less than 70% = exceptionally strong.

The first rule, therefore, is to ensure that your business can make money at well below full capacity.

Blogging is just like writing a diary, except that anyone on the Internet can read it. For some people, blogging has become almost a way of life, defining themselves as bloggers above all else. However, there are millions of blogs, most of them unread. So why bother? There are several reasons.

1. Blogs that provide useful advice will be followed by potential customers, who will refer them on to their friends. It's another way of raising your profile and promoting your brand. If you are seen as an expert who constantly provides practical advice, you will become trusted, and people buy from those they trust. If your blog becomes known as a centre of expertise and debate for your sector, you will benefit from the credibility that it gives, as well as receiving valuable ideas and feedback.

We have had some rather interesting days on the Fireflies ride so far this year.

Our first day (in the rain) was a tester that we all found quite exhausting: 154 kilometers and just 30 km short of the distance of one of the big days on the Tour de France and this year's Etape (the stage that the public race) with the same amount of climbing crammed into those miles.
This would be fine if we were only doing the one stage as with the Etape, but no, we got up the next morning and did it all again only this time with an even greater amount to climb. Day two was 120 k long with 11275 feet height gain on the day.

This placed us at the foot of the Col de l'Iseran, the second highest pass in Europe, for an overnight stay with the third day and some 'real' climbing to be done. Unfortunately the road over the top was closed to traffic because of a blizzard.

Park Royal Partnership on behalf of partners LB Hammersmith and Fulham, Transport for London and British Waterways is pleased to announce the opening of the new Scrubs Lane Access to the Grand Union Canal towpath. This new access includes a wheel channel for cyclists which should bring benefits to the many users that require access to the Grand Union Canal for journeys to work and leisure. This new access will be owned by British Waterways, who own the canal and towpath. The Grand Union Canal has been designated by TfL as a London strategic walk, a Greenway for pedestrians and cyclists, and is part of the Sustrans National Cycle Route Network, forming part of a long distance route between Central London, the Midlands and Watford.

The Grand Union Canal runs through the Park Royal area and provides an attractive car free route through for pedestrians and cyclists, but at present it has very limited or unsatisfactory access despite usage of the Grand Union Canal increasing over the years. Some 60% of journeys to work in the Park Royal area are by car, which is significantly higher than in surrounding areas. This leads to problems of congestion, and commuter cars parked on-street can cause difficulties for essential goods vehicles access to the industrial premises. Most of the street environment in Park Royal is unattractive for pedestrians and cyclists. It has been an ambition of partners to improve and upgrade access with available funding.

Park Royal Partnership worked closely with LB Hammersmith and Fulham and Transport for London for a number of years to find an appropriate engineering solution to the previous Scrubs Lane stairs to the Grand Union Canal and improve access for all users groups.

Held each August Bank Holiday since 1966, the Notting Hill Carnival is the largest festival celebration of its kind in Europe. This has been a means for Afro-Caribbean Communities to celebrate their own cultures and traditions.  Every year the streets of West London come alive, with the sounds and smells of Europe’s biggest street festival. Twenty miles of vibrant colourful costumes surround over 40 static sound systems, hundreds of Caribbean food stalls, over 40,000 volunteers and over 1 million Notting Hill revellers.

Starting its life as a local festival set up by the West Indian community of the Notting Hill area, it has now become a full – blooded Caribbean carnival attracting millions of visitors from all over the globe. With many astonishing floats and the sounds of the traditional steel drum bands, plus hundreds of stalls that line the streets of Notting Hill. The Notting Hill Carnival is arguable London’s most exciting annual event.

The Carnival dates of 2010 are August 29th and 30th. The Notting Hill Carnival usually, gets under way on the Saturday with the steel band competition. Sunday is Kid's Day, when the costume prizes are awarded. On Bank Holiday Monday, the main parade takes place. It generally begins on Great Western Road, then winds its way along Chepstow Road, on to Westbourne Grove and then Ladbroke Grove. In the evening, the floats leave the streets in procession and people continue playing at the many Notting Hill Carnival after parties.