New workhub opens in Telford

Not long ago Fay Easton, workhubs champion, told us about her enthusiasm for coworking and workhubs. Today her latest workhub opens in Telford, Shropshire:

Congratulations, Fay, your third workhub opens today – how did you get to this point?
First vision for the work hub was a business plan ten years ago for something called Hard Work Café – still love the name! Concept has remained the same although ‘ideal’ location has evolved.  The new Hub has the benefit of amazing husband and wife investors – business brains to die for – generous of spirit and visionary philanthropists.  So glad our paths crossed, could not have opened this Hub without them.
 
Tell us a little bit about the Enterprise Hub in Telford
It’s bigger than the previous two hubs, 6,000 sq ft in a beautiful open aspect location. We have a social enterprise tenant, a training academy, structural engineers business and a rubber & plastics research business as permanent tenants in the ‘lock up’ spaces.  We have coworking membership space for 50 members and permanent ‘desk hire’ for 10.  At the heart of the Hub we have a Start Up Zone for young people and are launching a campaign called Young Britain to help the under 24’s into self employment.

If Jelly attendance is anything to go by, Shropshire is full of small and home businesses keen to meet up and collaborate. Why do you think this is?
Shropshire is a hot spot for home business, these are the reasons:

1.       Idyllic work/life location in the ‘middle of the country’ 1 hour from an international airport and close to major motorway networks.
2.       Rural diversification from agriculture into many new economy sectors has created a boom in small business. Shropshire is the ‘home county’ of WiRE (Women in Rural Enterprise).
3.       Advances in technology allow entrepreneurs and freelancers to base their businesses in locations of choice.
4.       There’s something in the air!  No really – once known as The Valley of Ideas – Shropshire is the birthplace of the last industrial revolution and its local business owners are driving the next!
     
Last estimates from the University of Sheffield set the numbers of these home based businesses at over 25,000 (they also spread across a three tier economy – i.e. everything from a secondary income turning over £10k to multi million £ turnover businesses based in homes in Shropshire).

What are your hopes for the future?
Firstly to develop a range of contemporary garden offices under our brand and then to launch a venture called ‘Start Up City’ which would more or less do what it says on the tin!  Much needed in our area and would help all those fledgling entrepreneurs out there who have great energy and ideas and no routes to market.

Thanks, Fay, Telford Enterprise Hub sounds like a great place for business owners (not to mention mobile working employees) to find company and collaboration. Good luck with your opening week events!