“Without the workspace, I would have packed up my business and moved back to London. It was the difference between giving up and growing.”
Let’s not sugarcoat it. The last few years have been tough on small businesses and the self-employed, with rising operational costs, the complexities of new tax systems and the relentless digital arms race. Whether you’ve felt the squeeze or not, even one glance at the business section in the news can have you running for the hills, or at the very least, seriously debating your life choices. For many, especially in rural areas such as North Dorset, the dream of running your own business has quickly started to resemble a lonely island.
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Entrepreneur
Marketing Agency owner Rhiannon Harris moved to Dorset, in part, to fulfil her dream of running her own business. While she’d built up significant experience leading marketing in diverse and exciting industries, the reality of launching and sustaining a business in the countryside was a jolt to the system. Struggling to feel connected and failing at separating life from work, she discovered the newly-opened Hinton Workspace, close to where she lived, and finally felt on steady ground.
“The effect was seismic. Without the workspace, I would have packed up my business, moved my family back to London and taken an agency job. It was the difference between giving up and growing.”
Rhiannon’s story is a perfect example of how brilliance doesn’t always open doors, but community can.
From Sawdust to Fibre
Community takes many forms, as does the benefits it offers. Online groups, monthly meet-ups and shared interests all offer a step towards togetherness, but for those working predominantly remotely or in isolation, the most effective co-working communities are ones with a solid base. Designated, protected spaces, set up to enable output but also to encourage high-level thinking, idea sharing and to provide places to break out and talk about the latest Netflix series.
Arriving at the Hinton Workspace, you immediately feel the intention behind the design. This is far from the glass and chrome, often sterile working environments, you get in the city. As a converted carpenter’s workshop, it’s a space with a deep, Dorset soul, and a place you can proudly bring your clients to.
The founder, Alice Plunkett, has done a beautiful job of honouring the heritage of the building. Structural details have been kept intact, and the walls decorated with antique tape measures, saws and photographs that tip their hats to the building’s history.
Today, the walls witness a range of different crafts. The sawdust-strewn floors have been replaced by high-speed internet, meeting pods for confidential calls and glass-walled conference rooms that offer privacy without isolation. There’s always the snug if you really want to tuck yourself or your team away. It’s a workspace that feels like it has its feet and heart in Dorset, while having all of the efficiency and convenience of a London co-working space.
Goodbye, Lonely Island
In winter, the afternoon fire is lit in the sitting room, and on a cold day, there’s nothing more satisfying than bringing your coffee to the sofas and taking a moment away from your work. It’s especially at these times that the lonely island of self-employment feels a long-haul flight away.
Putting the perfectly-balanced atmosphere aside for a moment, it’s not just the roaring fires and warm greetings that draw people in; it’s the diversity of expertise that sits at the desks around you. In a time when ‘digital’ can be synonymous with ‘detached’, the workspace creates a grounded space for even the most tech-forward of businesses.
Why Even Digital Experts Need Physical Communities
Jim Chetwode, Okapi & Co’s founder, is a digital marketer with over 30 years of experience, and as such, has seen it all, from the rise of Google to the current behemoth that is the AI revolution. As an AI-First SEO expert, his work is predominantly global and digital, yet he chooses this former carpenter’s workshop in Dorset as his base.
“The most vital thing to remember about the AI evolution is that people still buy from people,” Jim explains. “AI makes things faster, but you still want to know who you’re buying from. For me, the network is the most important thing in business. It’s not just about who you meet; it’s who they know, which can give you a much better reach than any form of automation.”
While at first, Jim’s presence might seem incongruous, he makes a vital point: that the more automated our work lives become, the more we desperately need human-centric spaces to remain creative, and quite honestly, sane.
“Small business owners go through a lot of stress, particularly now,” Jim notes. “We all wake up at three o’clock in the morning, worried about the next paycheck. It’s so good to be able to share those problems away from home while making a cup of tea for someone. We all go through the same things.”
The ‘Work Better, Together’ philosophy of the Hinton Workspace sums this up perfectly, and highlights how by using the collective energy of a community, we can solve problems that can feel insurmountable when you’re running your business alone from your spare room.
The Hinton Hustle and the Power of Real-Life Connection
I felt this myself, quite acutely, during a recent ‘Hinton Hustle’, one of the workspace’s monthly networking mornings. Glancing down at the guest list before I headed up to grab my coffee and croissant, I was taken aback by how many people I knew on the list. People from my past and present, none of whom I knew were going to be there. I was about to walk into a new room, in a relatively new space, already with an arm of people to catch up with – it was heartening.
At Campana Marketing, we talk a lot about visibility built through beautifully crafted connections. We know that a strong digital presence is essential as the first invitation, but a space like this is where we’re aiming for; to bring people together, in real life, where friendships, collaborations and opportunities take shape at speed.
The Best Investment You Can Make
We champion spaces like this because we’ve seen (and shuddered at!) the alternative. We’ve had brilliant experts tell us about their struggles to find the right community infrastructure and how this has directly hindered their business growth.
The ROI of showing up is more than just social; it’s measurable. Jim attributes at least one new business opportunity every month directly to being in the room. Beyond the leads, there is the halo effect of being associated with a space that values excellence. As Jim puts it: “If you say you work out of Hinton, people know exactly where you’re from. It elevates your own brand because the environment is so fantastic.”
Whether it’s sharing a groan over the current fuel prices or celebrating a new contract over lunch, these rooms matter. They’re where isolated experts become collaborators and impactful leaders. In an unsettling world, perhaps the best business move you can make isn’t investing in a new software stack or getting flashy business cards; it’s finding your community.
Ready to build some momentum?
We’d love to discuss how we can help you architect a presence that reflects your amazing expertise.
