Best Places To Start A Business - Business Support Sussex
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Best Places To Start A Business
Sussex is in the heart of South East England in the United Kingdom, an area which is the engine that drives the UK economy. Rather than highlight several areas as places worth setting up business in, I wish to make a case for setting up business in the beautiful seaside town of Hastings, in the county of East Sussex.
Where is Hastings?
Hastings resides on the seaside at the end of the A21, which is 45 minutes away from the London orbital M25 motorway. Situated between Ashford and Brighton, Hastings is nicely positioned for residents to enjoy the hustle and bustle of Brighton or the gateway to Europe via Ashford International. With ever improving road and rail links between Hastings, its neighbours as well as the city of London, it’s easy to see why people make day trips to Hastings and the tourism industry reflects this.
Since Hastings is a bridge between Sussex and Kent, there’s a distance between the county’s which often labels Hastings as the “End of Sussex” as the map clearly shows East of Hastings. Due to this, investment in road and rail has always taken second place to other, more economically mature towns and cities such as Brighton and herein lies the opportunity of Hastings as a place to start a business. With the regional economic strategy investing millions of pounds into education, business and transport, Hastings is on the up; fast.
What is Hastings like?
“A modern European town”, “culturally diverse”, “a quintessentially English seaside town”; there are many faces to Hastings, all of which are welcoming, attractive and enjoyable. Formally a fishing town (and still home to the largest land-based fishing fleet in Europe), Hastings primary industry is tourism. Hastings is also known for its creativity and contains a diverse range of landmark buildings which house some fantastic creative and knowledge based companies, a fast growing economic sector in the town. With an entertaining night-life, a wonderful Theatre, many local festivals and a supportive and strong community spirit, Hastings is often a town people don’t leave once they settle.
Living in Hastings
Stunning country parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty and the rapid developments during Victorian times leading to beautifully traditional properties, Hastings offers a wide choice of idealistic settings with which to reside.
Due to the majority investment of outside areas, property prices in Hastings remain lower than neighbouring Eastbourne and Brighton but combined with the rapid economic growth of Hastings, buying here remains a shrewd investment and many London based companies are investing in the town and gradually settling down here, bringing business with them.
With a modern and complex District General Hospital providing an acute range of surgery and medicine, a bustling shopping complex in the pedestrianised town centre and a plethora of historic treasures dating back to the 1066 Normandy invasion, Hastings never disappoints as a place to live.
Investment in Hastings
Via a ten year economic investment program, delivered by Sea Space for SEEDA, the Governments Regional Development Agency, some £80 million is being spent regenerating the town through business and education. This has created a real buzz in the town and there is strong business confidence and a hugely prosperous economic outlook in the long term.
To compound this, “it’s estimated that £400 million of public and private money will be invested into the regeneration area by 2012. Over £90 million of government money has already been committed, with a further £65 million allocated to a new further education college. On top of this, nearly £150 million has been earmarked for road improvements to the A21 and plans are well under way for a £47 million link road between Hastings and Bexhill - Sea Space“.
Sea Space - www.seaspace.org.uk
Sea Space is the economic development company for Hastings and Bexhill. Set up by the regional development agency and local councils, they’re working to create a vibrant, prosperous future for this part of England’s south coast. They are helping the towns fulfil their potential as highly desirable places to work, live, study and visit.
Enterprise Hub - www.eastsussexhub.co.uk
The Enterprise Hub Network is the lynchpin between entrepreneurial ideas and commercial success, helping to create new, innovative and prosperous businesses that can contribute to the economic growth and development of the South East.
University Centre Hastings - www.uch.ac.uk
UCH is a unique higher education centre combining the knowledge and expertise of its academic partners. The partner institutions have excellent teaching records and years of experience in all aspects of higher education.
They offer a range of courses at different levels of study. These include short professional courses, foundation degrees, honours degrees and postgraduate courses. The emphasis of the courses is to provide students with the professional skills they need to further their chosen career.
Further Education College - www.hastings.ac.uk
Hastings College is a medium sized general further education college. The main campus is located at St. Leonards-on-Sea.
Other sites include an international centre nearby, a residential conference centre in Battle and an adult education centre in Rye. They provide for all levels of ability up to higher national diploma level.
Creative Media Centre - www.creativemediacentre.com
Based in Hastings, East Sussex, they provide affordable office suites, desk space and business support services for SME’s, freelancers and start ups working locally in the creative industries sector. Typically advertising, marketing, writing, publishing, design, film, TV, radio, software and internet are the types of businesses that help to make the CMC the focus for a vibrant, creative business community.
Innovation Centre - www.innovationcentrehastings.com
The Innovation Centre, Hastings is a new set of high quality, purpose-built managed business premises on the south coast in East Sussex.
It is specially designed to help firms with an innovative approach to business grow and thrive. They offer a range of offices, studios and workshops, all fully equipped with the latest in telephony, broadband, meeting rooms, reception and clerical services.
Lacuna Place - www.seaspace.org.uk
Lacuna Place is being built to provide flexible, contemporary, high-quality business premises in Hastings town centre. It is being created on the empty space of land between buildings at the top of Havelock Road, known as the ‘Gap Site’ as it had been empty and overgrown for over a decade.
Priory Quarter - www.seaspace.org.uk
A twenty-first century commercial, leisure and retail zone being created in the heart of Hastings town centre. This is being designed to provide a wide range of space from small offices to large premises including bespoke business developments.
Finally
As you can see, Hastings is fast becoming the commercial and residential hotspot of the South East for savvy investors and businesses looking for space to work and skills to harness.
If you have any further questions regarding either starting up or bringing your business to the area, please do not hesitate to get in touch with eBiz Consultancy Ltd. We’re well connected in the town and happy to meet new businesses from all industry sectors. Please direct any specific questions you may have to www.ebizconsultancy.co.uk/contact and we’ll be in touch shortly.