This is supposed to be the year of the great licensing reform as the White Paper totters its way around Westminster (although the specialists are saying don't hold your breath). Meanwhile gaining an off licence remains either a laborious DIY exercise or a tad expensive if you hire specialists. Convenience store specialist Lockett & Co will charge around £1,850 but for this you get a more or less turnkey service and the company has a 98% success rate. It's certainly a good investment because an offie is a great traffic builder and should provide growth of between 20% and 30% per cent in your first year of gaining a licence. There are 389 licensing districts across England and Wales with each entitled to produce its own policy guidelines for its area, which is why some parts of the country are blackspots in comparison with others, and magistrates take a dim view of too many outlets selling booze. At the beginning of 1999 the Justices' Clerks Society issued new guidelines aimed at streamlining the system. "But we still believe that there are in excess of 200 different policy guidelines across the country," says Chris Mitchener, licensing manager at Lockett & Co. "They vary from two pages long to in excess of 40 pages." Essentially though, the authorities want to establish two things: that the applicant is a fit and proper person to hold a licence and that the premises are suitable (two criteria that are unlikely to change regardless of how revolutionary the promised reform). For those who already hold a licence then it is important to remember that the three-yearly renewal hearings, or Brewsters Sessions, take place in the first two weeks of February. If you don't renew, your licence will expire on April 5 (this applies to everyone save those who gained a licence since January 4). Lockett & Co has just established a Licensing Club for the purpose of completing the renewals for retailers. If you join (for a small one-off admin charge of £11.75) you will get a staff training manual and a refusals book, a free advice service for licensing queries and updates on legislative changes The scale of charges to members ranges from £65 for a renewal to £125 for a transfer. If you're interested ring 01562 863539. While we're on the subject of licensing, bear in mind that new licensing controls came into effect from January 23 ­- the result of a Private Member's Bill. The Licensing (Young Persons) Act closes a loophole in that any employee, whether head office or not, can now be prosecuted for selling alcohol to children under 18. The Act also creates a new offence of purchasing alcohol on behalf of a minor. Where's the compensation? If the electricity company digs up the road outside your shop there is no statutory requirement for compensation (if it's water or sewage or gas there is). So it was a case of sod's law for Ross Elliot, who trades in Burton-on-Trent, in that it was East Midlands Electricity Company which did the work outside his shop. Ross Elliot's business has plummeted and says the electricity company is giving him the runaround. The advice to Ross and anyone else in this position is this: appeal to your local councillor or MP to take up your case; apply for a business rates' reduction due to loss of trade through no fault of your own; publicise your plight through the local press and ring Ofgem (the Office of Energy and Gas Markets regulator) on 020 7901 7000. From there you will be directed to one of several regional Energy Watch helplines which will help to put pressure on the relevant company. Weaving a new web Ex-shopkeeper Peter Levene has put his Business Guide online on his new web site ­ www.businessmatters.org.uk ­- which sports links to many government departments. It will give you free access to current legislation. You can also advertise goods for sale or wanted free. In the Businesses for Sale section you can advertise your shop for two months for £17 +VAT (£19.98). {{GROCER CLUB }}