New Smarter Working option for Hampshire

With centres now in Aldershot, Basingstoke, Fareham, Fordingbridge, Gosport, Havant, Lyndhurst and Portsmouth, shortly (Q4 2010) to be joined by Bordon, Eastleigh and Lymington/Milford On Sea, the Hampshire-wide Smarter Working Centre network is becoming well established.

WIth more than 150 member companies, businesses and community groups are certainly beginning to learn about the benefits of low-cost, business broadband connected work, office, meeting and training space. With the ability book space by the hour, day, week or longer period for as little as £1.50 per hour perhaps start-up and fledgling businesses especially should find out about this new stepping stone to your own office. If on the otehr hand, you are part of the daily grind of the peak-time commute, or as employer looking to join the low-carbon economy, you too could save yourself much stress and uneccessary employee and business travel costs by working occasionally from an SWC. To learn more visit the Smarter Working Centre website

The initiative is part of the collaborative Hampshire County Council and local authority led ‘Recession Response Initiative’, a £425,000 investment by Hampshire Council designed to support local businesses. The official programme launch of the SWC initiative took place on 8th October as part of the eHampshire Conference at Winchester Guildhall with the Smarter Working Centre website launched during Smart Commute Week on 5th Nov 

An SWC might form part of an existing business centre, or be housed in a currently empty public, high street or commercial building. In more rural locations, a SWC could perhaps be within a community centre or a library. The SWC scheme is membership based and offers drop-in low-cost, internet-connected shared work space, meeting and training rooms together with a communal area for networking, with tea and coffee facilities.

Each SWC will be internet connected and users may come from the following groups:

–        Entrepreneurs, professionals and executives (those recently unemployed or redundant,

–        Commuters and would be or currently isolated homeworkers

–        Seasonal, project and remote (nomadic/freelancer/contract) workers 

–        Local start-up, fledgling, microbusinesses or social enterprises

–        Private and public sector organisations looking to reduce office costs and their carbon footprint 

Yes, very much so. Each Smarter Work Centre will become a local venue for agency delivered business advice and training services. These services are often be free or heavily subsidised and will be delivered by organisations like Business Link, Hampshire Chamber, Job Centre Plus and Enterprise First. SWCs can also act as outreach centres for local colleges. Each centre operator is also encouraged to establish special interest networking events and self-help groups or clubs for recently unemployed professionals or executives.

For some SWC members, like recently out-of-work executives or entrepreneurs who become, initial use of workspace (subject to availability) could be FREE. Otherwise workspace, meeting rooms or private offices can be booked by SWC members by the hour, half day, day, week or longer. A workspace booking for an hour costs £4 or £12 for a full day. That's just £1.50 per hour. The cost is £20 per day for a private PC equipped office. Both 'Pay As You Go' and prepaid (discounted) memberships are available

The purpose designed SWC website offers a real-time availability checker, on-line booking, availability and secure payment using PAYPAL.  Click here to visit the  SWC Website

 

We are still looking for facilities in the Alton, Andover, Petersfield and Winchester areas

You can call or email (contact information below) and we will mail you the Smarter Working Centre Network leaflet or alternatively take a look at the on-line quick guide

Finally, if you have or know of an empty or under-utilised building that might be suitable for use as a Smarter Working Centre, or would like to understand more about the programme or the criteria for becoming a Smarter Working Centre operator please contact the eHampshire Programme Office on 01962 846381 or you can email the project manager tony.corbin@hants.gov.uk