Business Bites – why remote working is a growth driver for Chichester

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I watched the Panorama episode on Remote Working, which is still available on iPlayer and I was left more than a little frustrated. I shared my thoughts on LinkedIn, and I have never had anything like the response I had to this post. It is a topic that anyone in work has an opinion about, but to-date all the reporting seems to be how it important it is to be physically present in an office at least part of a week. The piece seemed heavily biased in favour of a return to the office in some form. At no point was a business that has thrived due to remote working interviewed.

I think Chichester is a great example of a place that isn’t London benefitting from remote working practises. The growth of flexible working spaces in town, such as Rume2 and 104 The Hornet are examples of an economy that is pivoting to address market needs.

The report lamented the loss of dry cleaners, an industry that was witnessing a decline in services since before the pandemic. We have a wonderful dry cleaner on North Street, H& F Haberdashery. It also offers fabric, alterations and a host of others useful things. Markets dictate when a business must innovate, and this is just one local example of how our economy has managed this well.

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Another negative impact on remote working that was reported was the loss of trade in cafes. We are lucky to have several great independent cafes in Chichester. The Barn in Little London continues to expand. Other independents have also popped up in recent years. Are these benefitting from money that would be spent elsewhere? Most likely, but those businesses have also pivoted to meet market demand. There are only so many cafes a high street can tolerate. To survive you need to have a unique offering. The ones that embrace that do well.

Lucia Barbato, CEO Ilex Content Strategies, Business Ambassador Dementia Support Sage HouseLucia Barbato, CEO Ilex Content Strategies, Business Ambassador Dementia Support Sage House
Lucia Barbato, CEO Ilex Content Strategies, Business Ambassador Dementia Support Sage House

The benefits of remote working will be most keenly felt for those communities outside of London. From my own perspective, remote working allows me to hire talent from as far and wide as Bognor to Aberdeen. Traditionally, businesses like mine have been based in London or other major cities. By adopting a fully remote model my team spend their money in shops and businesses local to them. As a business we also invest in the local community, both our charitable projects and where we decide to spend our money at our 6 in-person away days every year. For example, we enjoyed a great team lunch thanks to LA Fish recently.

There are a host of benefits to remote working that are positive for the economy, not least opening up opportunities to work for those based in places that don’t have as many employment options as the big cities. If you live in a town that has lost its traditional industries for example, or is just not a large population hub, why shouldn’t remote working be available for you to access more job opportunities? People have all sorts of reasons for wanting to stay in an area, whether it’s to stay close to friends and family, or perhaps the huge cost of living in a city like London. Fostering a positive remote work culture is far more beneficial to the economy than mandating physical presence in a given location. And that doesn’t even touch on those with caring responsibilities who would be able to access the workplace with these sorts of arrangements in place.

I’d be interested to know what other Chichester businesses think of remote working. From my perspective, it is a positive that came from the pandemic that we should cultivate. This benefits employees and business and will continue to be a driver of growth.

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