New business hub opens for North Staffordshire's growing army of home based entrepreneurs

The potential of home-based entrepreneurs in North Staffordshire was boosted last Friday, with the official launch of the first ever Home Business Hub in the County.

Located at the modern Uttoxeter Business Centre on Dovefields Business and Retail Park, the specialist facility provides dedicated ‘hot desk’ and networking space for the area’s increasing number of companies working from home - estimated to be in the hundreds.

The project, which is being delivered by Business Enterprise Support (BES), BIC and Staffordshire County Council, is aiming to assist up to 100 companies every year by offering them cost effective and flexible access to a professional base in which they can hold crucial meetings, maximise state-of-the-art technology and receive valuable support and guidance.

“Research from home-based entrepreneurs was telling us that one of the barriers to their growth and winning new contracts was that they didn’t have a suitable venue to hold meetings in and this reflected poorly on what they could deliver as a business,” explained BES’ Judith Kirkland.

“Working with our partners within The Staffordshire Business Support Consortium, we developed a concept that would maximise the use of an existing facility and give this growing area of the economy a dedicated business hub that would meet this requirement and more. This is the first one in Staffordshire and could well be the blueprint for others to follow.”

The Home Business Hub was officially opened by Councillor Philip Atkins and Jane Stretton, Advantage West Midlands Enterprise Board Member, on Friday to coincide with Global Entrepreneurship Week’s home enterprise day.

More than 20 high profile delegates attended and received a guided tour of the state-of-the-art base, which has received more than £20,000 of funding from Staffordshire County Council to implement wireless technology and an impressive suite of iMac computers.

The facility will be about much more than just equipment, with plans in place to hold regular networking events, one-on-one business advice sessions and expert seminars on topical issues facing local businesses.

AWM Enterprise Board’s Jane Stretton, who also runs Dove Farm, picked up the story:

“I’m delighted to be opening this excellent ‘hub’ for home based businesses. It is important that we recognise the changing face of our economy and ensure we create the right conditions for encouraging enterprises to flourish and new jobs to be created.”

Judith added: “We are hoping that the centre will become a community of like-minded entrepreneurs all keen to share best practice, inter-trade and, in the long-term, potentially grow into new clients for the Business Centre itself.”

Home based business will be able to book hot desks or the networking room at a daily rate of £15, which will include full use of the facility.

There are also plans in place to use this model to recreate similar hubs across the County Council’s portfolio of 13 Enterprise Centres in Stafford, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Cannock and Burton upon Trent.