Calderdale market trader campaign to get more businesses into the borough's towns

A campaign to recruit new market traders will start in Calderdale in the New Year, aiming to show people it can be the start of building a business of their own.

Councillors heard the special promotion campaign uses photographs of people already running their own businesses from the borough’s markets, pointing out the benefits of being your own boss and shaping your own career.

Coun Amanda Parsons-Hulse (Lib Dem, Warley) said she had often spoken to older market traders who had posed the question of how to get younger family members involved in taking on their businesses.

“Is there anything we can do to incentivise people?” she said.

Pop-up markets were very popular and could be a good way of giving people a “go” and enabling them to get on the ladder.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Markets Working Party heard the council’s communications team were fine tuning the campaign with liaison between officers, market traders and designers.

The campaign will range from banners and posters to promotion on social media, beginning early in the year.

Coun Tina Benton (Con, Brighouse) said the “be a market trader” – and being your own boss – aspect of promotional materials needed to have more impact.

Coun Megan Swift (Lab, Town) asked if some campaign elements could be aimed at young people, showing it can be a profession and a good way to earn a living.

Alan Lee, the council’s corporate lead for assets and facilities management, said the authority wanted to create a welcoming and warm environment traders could see themselves operating in.

Pop-up units were a way of easing into trading on a part-time lower cost basis, and support would be available to help people wanting to run businesses at markets, he said.

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