On your marks: how to prepare for the London Olympics

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With the number of days until the London Olympics commence counted down on companies' wall planners, does your firm have contingency plans in place ahead of the inevitable disruption the event will cause in the capital?


Because according to research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), most micro firms are not looking forward to the Games. Call them spoilsports if you will, but perhaps they have a point: London Overground is expecting to carry 70 per cent more passengers than usual for the duration of the Olympics and Paralympics, while there have been mutterings from Tube and taxi drivers about industrial action over pay.


Either way, the city is likely to be heaving this summer, so businesses might be wise to allow staff to work from home wherever possible and try to take advantage of the situation where they can.


In this case, employers will need to set their workers up with whatever office stationery they need to carry out tasks away from the office. This could include anything from the basics, such as box files and sundry office supplies, to the more costly items like laser fax machines so they can stay in touch with colleagues and send over scanned documents.


The FSB survey found six in ten (62 per cent) small firms reckon the 2012 Games will not have a long-term positive impact on their business, despite the prime minister's assertions that the UK is "on track" for a lasting legacy.
Just seven per cent of SMEs feel positive about the effect of the Olympics on their operations, while 25 per cent believe their business will be badly hit by the cultural event.


FSB chair John Walker commented:  "It is worrying that 200 days before the Olympic and Paralympic Games are set to begin, small businesses think it will not benefit their business. This is even more worrying considering the London 2012 Games was sold on the basis of its legacy.


"We all know times are tough, but 2012 is a year of big events that small firms should be able to benefit from," he continued. "The government and Olympic authorities must help show small businesses how they can reap the rewards from one of the biggest sporting and tourism events the country has seen for years."


Of course, your London-based customer-facing business might be looking forward to the start of the Games because an influx of domestic and international tourists means more opportunities to turn a profit.


In this case, why not lure in the crowd by coming up with initiatives or money-off vouchers - perhaps give away Olympic stationery or run a Games-themed deal? Just check on the London 2012 website that you aren't inadvertently breaching the event's copyright by using the Olympic logo or related emblems.


As Mark Rubinstein, president of the Society of London Theatre, told the Guardian, the months ahead will be a challenge for all businesses - large and small - in the capital.


"There will be an awful lot of visitors whose primary reason for coming is the Games and we need to work harder as an industry to reach out to those people, to run promotions, to run initiatives," he added.

Posted: 23 January 2012

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