Devon Work Hubs - Latest Comments

Re: Home

Laura Bailey — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 08:50:03 -0000

I would be interested if one is around the Axminster / Honiton / Seaton area

Re: About

Cathy Debenham — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 04:53:45 -0000

How about one in Sidmouth or Honiton?

Re: New round of Work Hub Funding on it’s way

Tom Dixon — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 07:11:24 -0000

Tavsitock - there is interest there from a couple of parties. Yelverton - don't know. As this funding is coming from Devon County Council, Plymouth is not in scope, but there is a lot of activity down there, with jellies etc happening.

Re: New round of Work Hub Funding on it’s way

Rachael Gould — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 07:08:30 -0000

Hello. Great news on the funding front. Is anyone working on a hub in (south) West Devon? Tavistock, Yelverton, Plymouth?

Re: About

Tom_Dixon — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:10:50 -0000

Hannah - sounds interesting - why not come along Friday to our workshop in Cullompton, where we'll be looking to develop a sense of what a work hub in Devon could look like?

http://www.devonworkhubs.co...

Also, do subscribe to our email list to be kept up to date with news on workhubs and coworking.

Best wishes,

Tom

Re: About

ecct — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:54:43 -0000

Interesting comments. At Exeter Community Centre on St Davdi's Hill, Exeter we are interested in providing a work hub on the second floor of the building - easy in, easy out terms, hot-desking, sharing space and ideas. We want the workhub to feel part of the life of the community centre, too - to enable individuals, community groups and emerging social enterprises to engage with other things in the Centre - community cafe, childcare, social enterprises working together. The Centre will re-open in May 12 after a £1.6 million refurb. Unfortunately due to initial structural probelms in the building we have had to temporarily mothball this workhubs floor, pending enough capital to be able to refurb it. But the vision's there - the reality will follow!!
Hannah Reynolds - chair Exeter Community Centre Trust

Re: Barnstaple Jelly

Jon Gibbins — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:35:59 -0000

Thanks, Tom. Subscribed and followed!

Re: Barnstaple Jelly

Tom_Dixon — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 07:51:53 -0000

Hi Jon,

We're using this website, twitter (@devonworkhubs) and the email newsletter to get word out - subscribe via sign up form in right hand margin.

Best wishes,

Tom

Re: Barnstaple Jelly

Jon Gibbins — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:29:57 -0000

A shame I missed this. I'd be interested if there's another one. I often work from Boston's, and a couple of other Barnstaple cafés.

Re: About

Tom_Dixon — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:53:11 -0000

Simon - I've responded by email directly, but would echo Gavin's comment below.

Our own experience and research has found that it is as much about fostering the community of coworkers / homeworkers, and responding to their needs, as opposed to starting with the bricks and mortar and encouraging people to come. Really difficult issue. I assume you have tapped into any business support available in East Devon, and that you are engaging with the many business networks in Devon and online. Also assume you have tapped into the coworking group, which has a US slant, but lots of useful learning and advice: http://groups.google.com/gr...

Re: About

forwardspace — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:58:20 -0000

Simon, as a work hub operator I can tell it's you just as much about the environment that you create as the facilities you offer. Successful work hubs have an energy and a vibrancy that is far harder to achieve than the physical infrastructure. I would start by identifying some dynamic businesses doing interesting things and ask them to describe what they would want in their ideal work hub. I think you may find it is very different to what you have to offer.

Re: About

Simon Hall — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 06:14:35 -0000

We have a hot-desk facility in Exmouth, we provide all the services you suggest businesses need, but we have found no interest so far from people in Exmouth even though the cost is only £25 p.w. Anyone interested in our facility should check our website: www.exmouthbusinesscentre.c...

Re: Home

Simon Hall — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:24:44 -0000

We set up Exmouth Business Centre a short distance from the centre of Exmouth in October 2010, and have been very disappointed with the results. Many people have said what a good idea it is to provide these services to growing businesses or homeworkers, but unfortunately this has not translated into bums on seats. I have promoted the centre through various networking organisations like Chamber of Commerce and BNI, but we still have over half of the available space still unlet.

I would welcome any ideas or comments that could help us get the message out to more people that we are here?

Simon Hall, Centre Manager 01395 222974

Re: Home

Peter Porteous — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 05:18:57 -0000

I saw the Work Hub article in the Pulmans Axminster paper and would like to register interest on behalf of the Axminster Alternative Job Club. The AAJC is the only dedicated employment forum in this area (details at https://sites.google.com/si.... We see in the proposals some potential ways forward in terms of accommodation and support for our members interested in business start-ups.

Re: About Us

Eddy Durocher — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 03:03:34 -0000

Merely a smiling visitor here to share the love (:, btw great style and design .

Re: Home

Irving J D Roberts — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 14:39:58 -0000

A Feasibility Study for a Business Development Unit in Seaton Devon was commissioned by EDDC and carried out by Roger Tym & Partners and published in November 2008.
It included workspace for a range of users including home-based and micro businesses, home -workers and long-distance commuters together with dedicated business support for start-up and existing businesses. Also training/meting room and a conference room.
I see no reason why Work Hubs could not be run at the proposed Seaton Business Development Unit should it be built.
It could also be used by Business Mentors to encourage both people considering self-employment and small business start-ups in the Seaton Area.
High speed broadband would be essential for hot-desking.
Irving

Re: About Us

Irving J D Roberts — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:13:22 -0000

The Work Hubs are an excellent idea and lead to questions:

Seaton Development Trust Ltd commissioned a Feasibility Study for a Business Development Unit in Seaton Devon. This was successfully carried out by Roger Tym and Partners - final report November 2008. Has this been taken into account?

I suggest that you take into account the following as well:
The New Business Mentoring Network announced by Business Secretary Vince Cable. Other mentoring networks already in place.
EDDC/SSDCs Local Enterprise Partnership bid.
Existing Business and Innovation Centres in Devon.
Mentoring the unemployed to becoming self-employed and developing their business ideas.

Thanks for your attention.

Re: Home

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Re: Home

Chanda Carthew — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:02:55 -0000

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Re: Home

Dane Stanley — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 09:14:50 -0000

The idea of desk space rental - although on a short let period - worked well at Caddsdown Business Centre. The main obstacle was lack of bandwidth for broadband [and finding a way to monitor usage for billing]. many businesses left for lack of high speed broadband - so I urge you to ensure that any hub created has fibre optic/mega bandwidth. This will attract business!

Re: Home

Roy_Imeson — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 13:34:26 -0000

I work for a national organization and cover a wide geographic are and try to complete my emails, phone calls and planning for the week ahead from my dinning room.

I have carried out this type of work for over 10 years and the majority has been by hot desking within FE college. The past two years i have worked with my nearest satellite office 90 miles away which unfortunately does not offer the type of working area where i can just pop into and carry out a few phone calls and access to the internet.

If these 'Work Hubs' where to offer the type off environment that Mc Donalds, Starbucks dont and at a rate that i can afford, the fees would be at my expense (long gone are the days of out of pocket expenses!) I would use it regular and start to use the time to better the services that i offer to my clients.

Please go ahead wit hthe idea and not at a great cost!

£25 per month, to desk hop or a few ponds an hour? I'm not sure what you could charge or weather you would use a sliding rule of costs?

Regards

Roy Imeson

follow me on Twitter for more like minded business tweeterings @Roy_Imeson

Re: Home

Dean — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:26:03 -0000

Hi Cathy, I thought I should reply to your post as I run a Workspace in Ilminster which is not a million miles away! Have a look at our website: www.themonksyard.co.uk
Our walk in rates are very competitive and we are situated in a lovely area that also has great transport links-close to the A303 and M5.

Re: Home

Cathy — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 10:02:08 -0000

It would be great if one of them was in East Devon - Sidmouth, Ottery or Honiton all lack anything like this.

Re: Home

Peter — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 06:31:11 -0000

I would like to see this in Plymouth - i am originally from Plymouth and now work in London in the creative industry. I would love for Plymouth to take a new creative direction, embracing and encouraging creative industries to move to the area or be created.

The dockyard is in a state of decline why not position plymouth as the creative city, work hubs could be a good start - better yet would be an area dedicated to creative businesses.

We are also seeing a lot of movies being filmed in and around Devon, could Devon not play more on this - how about studio space and all the supporting businesses that could go with it.

Re: Home

Alison Hernandez — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 08:58:27 -0000

How about ones which offer childcare facilities too, as I have seen on TV. This would dramatically help Mum's get their businesses off the ground. The nearest I get to this in Devon is visiting a play area in Newton Abbot that has free wifi!