Small firms like to be beside the seaside

Being beside the seaside is a growing trend for many entrepreneurs who are choosing to relocate to coastal resorts.

According to the Mail on Sunday, the option to work remotely has prompted some small businesses to choose a seaside base, while many are lured by massive EU and private sector investment being ploughed into run-down Victorian resorts.

The article cites the example of John Clements who moved his design technology consultancy, Meta One, from Ashford, Kent, to the new multi-million pound creative media centre in Hastings last year. The East Sussex resort is halfway through a ten-year £400m programme of public and private sector investment.

John said: "Ten years ago, we would have had to run our business near to our clients who are mostly London-based. Now we can be almost anywhere, so why not the seaside?"

Jeff Alexander, director of the South East England Development Agency, said that seaside resorts are becoming hives of business activity. He said: "As more back office government departments and large businesses relocate to the coast, these resorts have become attractive for small businesses."

Full article: A sea change for small firms - Mail on Sunday