INVEST IN SOUTHSIDEYour guide to invest ing in Birmingham’s most diverse Business Dist r ict.

INTRODUCTIONOver the past decade, the

Southside district of Birmingham

has emerged as a distinctive

quarter within the UK’s second

city. Southside’s growth has

been driven by a number of

unique developments across

the area’s Chinatown and Gay

Village, encompassing leisure

destinations, retail, commercial

and office space. This exciting

mix has provided significant

and diverse local employment

opportunities. More recently,

new city living developments

have also added a new

dimension to Southside.

The £600 million redevelopment

of Birmingham’s major station,

New Street, is set to have a

considerable positive impact

on Southside, bringing even

more visitors and commuters

to the district’s doorstep and

strengthening connectivity

with international transport links

including Birmingham Airport.

If you invest in Southside,

you’re investing in a unique

destination that is fixed on a

long-term vision for growth.

There’s no better time to call

Southside your home.

Julia Chance, Manager, Southside BusinessImprovement District

Greater Birmingham is an area at the very centre of

the UK anchored by Birmingham, the UK’s second

city. With record levels of infrastructure investment,

increasing international recognition and countless

opportunities for companies to thrive in the region,

there has never been a better time to invest in

Greater Birmingham.

National infrastructure projects include:

• £40 billion High Speed Rail (HS2) link to London

• £600 million redevelopment of Birmingham New Street Station

• £33 million runway extension at Birmingham Airport

All information and statistics taken from Greater

Birmingham: Making Business Happen published by

Business Birmingham 2014.

www.businessbirmingham.com

ABOUT GREATER BIRMINGHAM

• No. 1 for inward investment, jobs created, projects and year on year increase according to UKTI

• Home to some 1,900 international firms

• More foreign direct investment projects in the last year than any other English region

• £54.4 billion GVA

• 28% growth in visitor numbers to Birmingham in the last eight years to 63.8 million

• Over 3 million population

• Direct flights to China from the centre of the UK.

www.investinsouthside.co.uk

SOUTHSIDEMIXING BUSINESS WITH PLEASURESouthside is Birmingham’s most vibrant and

diverse business improvement district, which sits

within walking distance from New Street Station

and Bullring Shopping Centre.

Southside boasts some of the country’s most

popular tourism destinations such as Birmingham

Hippodrome, the single busiest theatre in the UK,

Chinatown and the Gay Village.

In addition to a vast number of leisure venues, a

broad range and size of companies from Virgin Trains

to Legal and General Insurance have chosen to do

business in Southside.

How can Southside Business Improvement District (BID) support you?

Established in 2011, Southside BID exists to bring local

businesses together to develop projects and services

that will benefit the trading environment.

If you chose to invest in Southside, the BID team can

work with you to:

•Supportfamiliarisationvisitstofindoutmore

about Greater Birmingham and the Southside

district

•Introduceyoutoexistingbusinessesandlocal

bodies, such as Birmingham City Council and

Business Birmingham

•Connectyouwithanetworkofbusinesssupport

organisations

•Identifyanyavailablegrantsandfunding

opportunities

www.investinsouthside.co.uk

SOUTHSIDEMAP

CASE STUDIESJames Wong owns two of Birmingham’s most famous

restaurants. Chung Ying opened in 1981 as the first Chinese

restaurant in the city’s Chinatown and Chung Ying Garden

followed in 1987.

The multi-award winning restaurants serve over 350 authentic

Cantonese dishes and a large selection of dim sum.

“Chung Ying was the catalyst for Birmingham’s Chinatown, and

over the past 30 years the district, now known as Southside,

has become a vibrant entertainment quarter within one of the

world’s greatest cities.

“The wealth of choice that is available

in Southside is fantastic. There is

always room for a business that

can offer something different, and

the Southside BID team are a great

support.”

“Southside is a vibrant entertainment quarter within one of the world’s greatest

cities”

James WongChung Ying Chinese Restaurantsw

ww

.inve

stin

sou

thsi

de

.co

.uk

Ann Leung is a Director at United Travel in

Southside, and played a key role in securing

direct flights from Birmingham to Beijing.

“China is one of the fastest growing sources of

visitors to the UK, with visitor numbers tripling over the

past decade, and it is forecast to continue to grow

strongly.

“In 2012 the Chinese visitor market was worth

£15 million to the West Midlands economy, with

Birmingham now the 4th most popular destination for

Chinese visitors in England.”

“Birmingham is the fourth most popular destination for Chinese visitors in England, and the only city outside of London to have direct

flights to China.”

Ann LeungUnited Travel

“Southside is a great location for finding and retaining

skilled employees”

Wei DuWing Wah Group

Wei Du is General Manager of Ming Moon

Restaurant, part of the Wing Wah Group, based

in Southside.

To maintain high standards and serve authentic Pan

Asian cuisine, it is vital for the restaurant group to

source skilled staff at all levels.

“Southside is a great location for finding and

retaining skilled employees. The district is home to

a large concentration of Chinese residents and

students, many of whom have experience of

working within the hospitality industry.

“Southside also benefits from a number of business

support companies such as accountants, lawyers

and the Bank of China, which makes the district a

great place to do business.”

CONTACT US To f ind out more about invest ing in Southside please contact:

Email us: information@southsidebid.co.ukCall us: +44 (0) 121 643 3720Write to us: Southside Business Dist r ict Ltd, Gallan House, 32 – 34 Hi l l St reet, Bi rmingham, B5 4AN

www.investinsouthside.co.uk