Roving Canal Traders Association

[Robyn]

Many changes in rules and regulations that affect our ability to trade on the waterways are being instigated, and as such this site has been set up by a group of roving canal traders, with the aim of giving a voice to the small traders on the canals of the United Kingdom.

 

There are many traders on the canal selling a diverse range of product from Cheese, Jewelery, Fudge to Cratch Covers, Boat Names and Embroidery. The many trades afloat bring diversity and enhance the public’s enjoyment of the waterways – our aim is to promote and enhance our unique trading community.

 

If you know of another roving canal trader, then please ask them to register on our site. The more people register, then the more weight our voices will carry. If you know someone who is not on the internet but would like to register, then please send us their details via the contact us page on our website.

 

British Waterways are aware of the site and we are all working together to make the Roving Traders opinions heard.

 

Website Name: Roving Canal Traders Association (RCTA)

 

Website URL: www.canaltraders.org.uk

Edited January 24, 2011 by Robyn

[CV32]

Many changes in rules and regulations that affect our ability to trade on the waterways are being instigated, and as such this site has been set up by a group of roving canal traders, with the aim of giving a voice to the small traders on the canals of the United Kingdom.

 

There are many traders on the canal selling a diverse range of product from Cheese, Jewelery, Fudge to Cratch Covers, Boat Names and Embroidery. The many trades afloat bring diversity and enhance the public’s enjoyment of the waterways – our aim is to promote and enhance our unique trading community.

 

If you know of another roving canal trader, then please ask them to register on our site. The more people register, then the more weight our voices will carry. If you know someone who is not on the internet but would like to register, then please send us their details via the contact us page on our website.

 

British Waterways are aware of the site and we are all working together to make the Roving Traders opinions heard.

 

Website Name: Roving Canal Traders Association (RCTA)

 

Website URL: www.canaltraders.org.uk

 

 

More power to your elbow - we all need services on the cut and i hope your traders association gains membership and support.

[Robyn]

More power to your elbow - we all need services on the cut and i hope your traders association gains membership and support.

 

Cheers for that, it aims to help all canal traders get a voice with BW, and hopefully improving the conditions for the license of traders and bring more traders onto the system, fingers crossed.....

Many thanks

 

Will

[twbm]

Could you tell us what rules and regulations are troubling you and why?

[Robyn]

Could you tell us what rules and regulations are troubling you and why?

 

Hi,

 

There are many changes that are happening to the Canal Traders Licenses, and this site is to hopefully bring together the Roving Canal Traders so that we can collate any issues or questions then the traders that can get to the trade meetings with BW can voice those concerns on their behalf.

 

If you take a look at the website (It is a new site so slightly sparse at present) it will give you more information.

 

Regards

 

Will

[Robyn]

As the first British Waterways canal traders meeting approaches, can any trader who can not attend, but would like their questions raised then please contact us through the website on http://www.canaltraders.org.uk/?page_id=35 also if you would like to attend the meeting but don't have transport please leave a comment on the home page as one of the other trader members may be able to take you.

 

Thanks

 

Will

[NB Alton]

Firstly, well done for setting up this association & you will be receiving my support (although I would be interested to know your back round / involvement in canal trading.

 

BW held trade meetings last year, I attended the one in Feb / March at Ellesmere Port. It seems BW holds these meeting to show that they want to involve everyone, but then take no notice of what is said by there customers. There proposals currently being consulted about seem to very biased towards hire boat operators. BW seem to think Roving Traders are making large profits so they can charge them more in licence & operator agreement charges. With the general proposed increase of 5% in licences, plus the VAT increase and now this proposed operator trading agreement at £130, many small business traders could see there licencing costs increase by more than 25%. Also the proposals seem needlessly complex with operators having to use BW website to input there details (after receiving induction training) and risking £100 fines if this is not done. The whole proposal is completely out of touch with the self-employed owner operator with a small business just trying to work hard in all weathers and trying to earn a living, keeping there customers happy.

 

The more people that can respond to BW proposals by 31st January the better.

[Robyn]

Firstly, well done for setting up this association & you will be receiving my support (although I would be interested to know your back round / involvement in canal trading.

 

BW held trade meetings last year, I attended the one in Feb / March at Ellesmere Port. It seems BW holds these meeting to show that they want to involve everyone, but then take no notice of what is said by there customers. There proposals currently being consulted about seem to very biased towards hire boat operators. BW seem to think Roving Traders are making large profits so they can charge them more in licence & operator agreement charges. With the general proposed increase of 5% in licences, plus the VAT increase and now this proposed operator trading agreement at £130, many small business traders could see there licencing costs increase by more than 25%. Also the proposals seem needlessly complex with operators having to use BW website to input there details (after receiving induction training) and risking £100 fines if this is not done. The whole proposal is completely out of touch with the self-employed owner operator with a small business just trying to work hard in all weathers and trying to earn a living, keeping there customers happy.

 

The more people that can respond to BW proposals by 31st January the better.

 

Hi

 

Further to the above we actually hold a trading licence for our 58ft narrowboat, which we run our vinyl graphics business from our everything is produced onboard.

 

We attended the trade meetings last year, we went to the one at Barton Turns and due to the trading licence costs about to cripple for the small trader on the canals who don't make vast amounts of money, along with the Cheese Boat and other canal traders we have decided to set up the website to try and get as many licenced canal traders to register so that we can have a much bigger voice for the trade meetings with British Waterways and try to ensure that all the concerns of the traders can be raised even if the traders aren't able to attend.

 

This year we are working together with other traders to offer lifts to the four trade meetings to try and get as many traders as possible to attend. We are hoping that the more people and the bigger the voice we have BW may take note of our concerns.

 

Please feel free to join the website and if you send us your details we will add a free business page for you, hopefully resulting in all canal traders being advertised in the same place and we can all get to know each other better.

 

Cheers Will

[Toddlesocks]

Great idea, I am not a trader yet but really hope to be one day if we ever get the workboat finished so have bookmarked it, thank you for the link

[Robyn]

Great idea, I am not a trader yet but really hope to be one day if we ever get the workboat finished so have bookmarked it, thank you for the link

 

Hi

 

Feel free to register on the site and you will automatically be sent updates on the business licence and outcomes of trade meetings.

 

Cheers Will

[Toddlesocks]

Will do thank you

[andrewcooley]

I would like to wish the new Association every success - trading boats add significantly to the interest and enjoyment of those of us who just cruise for pleasure and relaxation.

 

The Cheeseboat is coming to the Boat-Share Show at Braunston on 19th and 20th March - it may be an opportunity to let visitors know about other trading boats and where they can be found.

Edited January 28, 2011 by andrewcooley

[Neil@CanalVoyagers]

Something worth considering - that you might be well represented as members of the Commercial Boat Operators Association (CBOA), perhaps as a sub-section within the trade group? Would you have more influence on matters by affiliating yourselves with a trade association that has had communications with navigation authorities for many years? I am sure that there are plenty of legislative issues that have an impact on both groups in a similar way.

[Chris Pink]

Something worth considering - that you might be well represented as members of the Commercial Boat Operators Association (CBOA), perhaps as a sub-section within the trade group? Would you have more influence on matters by affiliating yourselves with a trade association that has had communications with navigation authorities for many years? I am sure that there are plenty of legislative issues that have an impact on both groups in a similar way.

 

I guess that £50 per year for narrow boat membership is not excessive for a trade body, though it adds up, but an association that is free has its attractions.

[Robyn]

Something worth considering - that you might be well represented as members of the Commercial Boat Operators Association (CBOA), perhaps as a sub-section within the trade group? Would you have more influence on matters by affiliating yourselves with a trade association that has had communications with navigation authorities for many years? I am sure that there are plenty of legislative issues that have an impact on both groups in a similar way.

 

Hi Neil

 

Thank you for your comments, at the moment however we are running the RCTA as a free and separate entity, it is purely for the Roving Canal Traders so that we can try and get us all together and make a contact list of all the traders, as one of the issues BW stated as the reason there was not that many canal traders at the meeting was because they had no contact for them, so hopefully if all the traders can combine together this will no longer be an issue.

 

We hope to get a good turnout of canal traders at all 4 of the meetings this year, but as the website was only set up a month ago we have not yet managed to get the word out about it.

 

I'm hoping that keeping this thread live will enable other canal traders who do not use the internet on a regular basis get chance to see it and join up.

 

Again, I would like to say that this website is completely free, we do not charge for adverts for the Roving Canal Traders and don't intend to, there is a contribution button, but this is solely to help fund the domain hosting, anything over that amount will be put towards advertising the site.

 

Many thanks

 

Will