Supporting All Of Your Levy Payers?
The Key Lime View: Are You Supporting All Of Your Levy Payers?
When people think about BID areas, they often picture shops, cafés, restaurants and high street businesses. These businesses are highly visible, customer-facing and naturally feature in many BID campaigns and activities. However, in many BID areas there is another important group of levy payers that can sometimes be harder to engage.
Office occupiers.
Professional services.
Agencies.
Consultancies.
Financial firms.
Property companies.
And many other businesses that may not have a shopfront but still make a significant contribution to the BID area.Having worked with BIDs across the UK, one challenge we often see is ensuring these businesses feel just as supported and represented as their retail and hospitality neighbours.
Visibility Doesn't Always Equal Importance
It's understandable why retail and hospitality businesses often receive significant attention.
They're highly visible.
They're customer-facing.
And many BID initiatives are designed to increase footfall and visitor spending.
However, office occupiers are also valuable members of the business community.
Not only are they levy payers, but they are often some of the town centre's most regular customers.
They buy lunch locally.
They use cafés.
They visit shops.
They support local services.
Their staff contribute to the daytime economy every single day.
Engagement Looks Different
One of the biggest mistakes organisations can make is assuming that every business wants the same type of support.
A retailer may value footfall-driving events.
An office occupier may be more interested in:
Staff wellbeing initiatives
Networking opportunities
Training programmes
Recruitment support
Business connections
Sustainability advice
Understanding these different priorities can help create a more balanced BID offer.
Telling Their Stories Matters
One of the simplest ways to support office occupiers is to help raise their profile.
Many professional businesses have fantastic stories to tell, but often lack a public-facing platform.
This could include:
Staff achievements
Charity fundraising
Marathon runners
Long-service milestones
Business anniversaries
Team successes
Recruitment opportunities
These stories help put faces to businesses and make them feel more connected to the wider community.
Social Media Can Play An Important Role
One of the most effective ways we've found to support office-based levy payers is through social media. While these businesses may not always have products to promote, they do have people, stories and opportunities worth sharing. Highlighting job vacancies, celebrating team achievements and introducing staff members can help create visibility and engagement.
It also demonstrates that the BID is supporting all sectors of its business community.
Training Creates Value
Another simple but effective way to engage office occupiers is through professional development opportunities. Training sessions, workshops and programmes such as SEEDL can provide practical value while helping businesses feel connected to the BID. These initiatives can often attract businesses that may not normally engage with events or campaigns.
Think Beyond The High Street
One of the most successful BIDs recognise that their business community is incredibly diverse.
Retailers.
Hospitality businesses.
Offices.
Professional services.
Leisure operators.
Health providers.
Each has different priorities, challenges and opportunities. The key is ensuring every levy payer understands how the BID supports them.
Every Levy Payer Should Feel Represented
At Key Lime, we're not only a company that works with BIDs. We're also a levy payer ourselves. We understand how important it is to feel connected to the wider business community and to see the value being delivered. That's why we believe some of the strongest BID engagement comes from recognising that support doesn't look the same for every business. When all sectors feel represented, engagement becomes stronger, relationships improve and renewal conversations become far easier.
Let's Start The Conversation
Whether you're looking to engage office occupiers, improve levy payer communications or ensure all sectors feel represented, we'd love to hear about your experiences.
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