Member Article

Coworking entrepreneur looks to expand idea further across North East

A North East entrepreneur who connects home-based business with ‘colleagues’ at offices across the region says she wants to expand further.

Business coach and former Business Link County Durham chief executive Jayne Graham is expanding the number of venues her Colleagues on Tap scheme operates across.

Jayne’s ‘Coworking Days’ allow people to go and working in an office alongside other small business owners.

Almost 200 business owners regularly attend the days, at locations in Durham, Newcastle, Stockton, Redcar, Consett, Benton and Alnmouth.

Jayne is now looking to expand the days into Darlington, Northumberland and North Yorkshire, and has had enquiries from even further afield.

She said: “Many people who work from home do so to enjoy the benefits of low overheads and the flexibility of being their own boss, but it can also be quite isolating.

“The beauty of Colleagues on Tap is that we’re not a traditional networking group. It’s about being connected with other people and having the support of colleagues while increasing business confidence.

“We help those who work for themselves recognise that they’re doing a great job and for them to feel like they’re not on their own.”

The Coworking Days are hosted by licensed associates of Colleagues on Tap, including Jayne herself who continues to host the Newcastle city centre events.

Kathryn Clarke, of Spennymoor, who runs Kathryn Clarke Image Consultancy and hosts the Coworking Days held at the North East Chamber of Commerce’s headquarters at Aykley Heads, in Durham, said the days allowed her the time to step out of the day-to-day running of her business.

She said: “I worked in an office for a couple of years and I liked the colleagues and the social side of it. With the Coworking Days you get all that - the support of colleagues and the chat – but you don’t get wrapped up in any office politics.

“It also gives me the chance to really focus on the business away from clients and the home.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .