Kent talks show promise

Research for Kent County Council by the Workhubs Network has found significant home-working hotspots in the country, notably around Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells and parts of Kent’s coast.

Our limited input has been part of a concerted drive by the county council, and county local authorities to better understand the nature of home-based business in the county to improve business and technical support.

Workhubs Network has now spoken at two seminars hosted by the county council, including a recent seminar cohosted by Maidstone Borough Council.

Workhubs Network director Tim Dwelly, who led the seminar, said its focus was broad.

‘Maidstone is particularly interested in exploring the option of setting up low cost hubs in existing business premises,’ Dwelly said. ‘The model we think most likely to appeal here and in other parts of Kent might be that developed particularly well by the York Hub.’

Maidstone Borough Council has also indicated an interest in offering home-working council employees the option of using a local workhub and wants more ways to support social housing tenants starting a business from home.

An online survey this year by Workhubs Network of home-based businesses in Kent reveals significant interest in the work hubs model, with 88% indicating that they would pay to become members.

Survey findings

The Kent survey found a huge and diverse range of small businesses being run from home, with 55% self-employed and 40% running a limited company. The largest group (44%) is made up of sole operators, with 23% working in a team of up to four, and another 21% working flexibly by contract.

Nearly half are very well established, running for five years or longer, and 85% said they planned to stay home-based. A hefty 59% saying they like working at home, 74% value being able to choose their working hours and 66% said they saved time and money otherwise wasted on commuting.

But with just over half noting they lacked a professional space for meetings and over 40% suffering unwanted intrusion by family, their evident interest in the workhub model is not a big surprise.

So what features would draw them in? Respondents said the top attractions for them would be:

• 70% occasional use of a bookable meeting room, 7% regular
• 66% occasional use of informal meeting areas, 7% regular
• 56% occasional attendance at networking events, 28% regular
• 52% occasional use of café/kitchen, 12.5% regular
• 50% occasionally finding people to work with or bounce ideas off, 21% regularly
• 48% occasional use of office-standard equipment, 18.5% regular
• 47% sometimes using informal workspace, 7% regularly
• 46% occasionally seeking business support/advice, 17% regularly
• 43% occasional attendance at specialist training, 19% regular

Likes and dislikes reveal few definitive tastes but the most clear cut preference reflects the largely rural nature of Kent’s home-based workers, with 82.4% wanting parking space and another 59% wanting an easy car journey.

Networking and collaboration are important, with 66% wanting active support and 62% wanting opportunities to socialise and a similar proportion wanting relaxation areas indoors and out. A café/bar has huge appeal, at 74%, but possibly the former outweighing a bar given the likelihood of car dependency.

As for dress, six in 10 want a relaxed code, with just a tiny 3% finding formal wear more to their taste. And a slightly informal but still work-focused atmosphere has the clear edge over smart and business-like.