The Workshop Folkestone – Inspiring the Business Community

Folkestone is a place for that perfect work/life balance.  Many people have moved to the town to escape the stress of commuting, and to work nearer home. One of the main players in facilitating this has been The Workshop Folkestone – a venue for office space for sole traders and small businesses.  It’s been described as having that ‘Google vibe, a Shoreditch away from London’. And who could resist exiting via the slide on your way out to lunch? Manager Lisa Highton spoke to Folkelife.

“The Workshop is a co-working venue, but that means different things to different people.  I try to explain it by saying we provide serviced offices, and a mixture of fixed desk spaces and the ad hoc, really flexible desk spaces too.  A lot of people will understand ‘hot desking’, you could have been encouraged into it within a company, but with us, it can mean something quite different.  What we add is all those extras, it’s the ‘everything else’ you get with it that makes you want to come and work here.”

added extras

“We create a real community in the building.  Yes, you can expect to get great WIFI, you’re not going to lose your work halfway through.  It’s super-fast, no one ever complains and it doesn’t go wrong. And for a lot of people, they want to come down, sit down, turn their laptop on, and can get to work.  It’s also about having a comfortable seat to sit on at a space that is comfortable for them, and that they’ve got work and the space to do what they need to do for their working day.

“It means they can go and make a cup of tea or coffee in the kitchen. They’ve got access to microwaves. They really can turn up and get on with their work without any interruptions. And that’s a big reason for a space like ours. It’s breaking up that monogamy of being at home and or trying to work around other people at home.  People who are visiting here on holiday can extend their stay by working here.  If they’re staying somewhere that doesn’t have the space to work, they can come here and get on with what they want to do; it just makes life easier, less stressful and better all round.”

A place for small businesses to grow

“As a business owner that is based here, it’s knowing those additional facilities we provide are important.  You know you have a really clean, tidy office space, which you can make your own with branding and however you might want to do that. But the rest of the space, you know everything’s working. The kitchen’s working. Your staff have got working toilets. You can get involved in the events that are put on, and so on. It’s almost in addition to what you might do for your own staff without you having to organise it yourself.”

a tour of the building

“We’ll start at the ground floor which is what we call our workbenches and our workstation space. Workbenches are really flexible spaces, you can pay by the hour, you can pay by the day. There are packages that suit you across the month. Come and go as much as you like, Monday to Friday.

“We’ve also got a little audio studio in that space. So for anyone that’s wanting to record stuff for video, record podcasts, that space is there. 

“Workstations are the fixed desk option.  We have space on the ground floor and also the third floor too. You’ve got access to those desks 24 over seven. You make the space your own. You’ve got your own loos, your own kitchen, a bit of a more comfortable area. Both areas have got booths in, so if you need quick private calls those facilities are there as well.

“We’re also home to Barclays Bank on the ground floor, four days a week. They’re here Tuesday to Fridays, and it’s been a central point for them and their customers, and meant they have kept a town-site office which is important.  We’re looking at giving them a proper reception space in the next few months.”

first and second floors

“The first and second floor are serviced offices for individual companies.  They range from having two people in, up to about 12 or 14 members of staff.  There’s everything from charities, to construction companies, to the Rocksalt Group and financial planners and game app designers.  We don’t specialise so there’s a huge variety of skills of people here. There are meeting rooms for hire as well. 

“On the third floor we have another five offices, and a larger meeting room and some workstations.  The fourth floor is now exclusively for Le Shuttle, their commercial team is based here for the next couple of years.  There are around 125 employees, working here 7 days a week.”

the workshop card

“Le Shuttle being here makes this a very different building.  And their staff are loving being in the centre of town.  This highlights how our workspace helps the town thrive.  Everyone here needs somewhere for lunch if they don’t want to bring it in from home. We’ve instigated a Workshop Loyalty Card which means that members here get offers in town from various local businesses.  

“If you enjoy the lunch and pastries, then there’s a connection with a local personal trainer – you can’t eat the pastries and not do the training!  There are other businesses that offer professional services too which help the world go round. 

“The members here are increasing the footfall to businesses in town.  They leave here and go out after work.  It’s what makes the area busy and economically successful.  And they’re here seven days a week.”

buddy system

“Whether you are here for just a couple of hours, or established here as one of our long-term members, we have a buddy system that makes sure you’re looked after.  From knowing how to get onto the wifi to coming to the monthly coffee morning which is a relaxed way to network with others in the building. 

“It’s always good to take 10 minutes away from your desk, and relaxed networking with pastries is good.  I always make sure they’re good pastries too, or else I’d hear about it!”

Contact Lisa at The Workshop for a tour here.