It’s a hello from me - meet Rosie one of our founders
I began my first business at the tender age of 26 whilst pregnant with my first child. I ran it from my studio flat for the first couple of years until we were big enough to take an office and start employing a team.
In those days there were no coworking spaces, I worked on a laptop from my dining room table, held conference calls with a baby on my lap and sometimes didn't leave the house for days.
If someone had told me there was somewhere I could go to work alongside other people in the same boat, in a nice environment, with refreshments on tap and lots of interesting events & workshops going on I would have been there like a shot. I think it would have certainly helped both my business and confidence grow in those early days.
Freelancing or running your own small business of course has its rewards but it sure can be lonely at times. I have definitely bought the t-shirt on that one!
Fast forwarding over 15 years having grown and sold my first business & recently started another I found myself back working running 2 small businesses from a studio in my garden in Chichester.
Having seen the rise of coworking spaces in bigger cities and the benefits they bring I started to explore what there was in the local area. Pretty much nothing!!
What I did realise quickly is that Chichester has a vibrant freelance and small business community across a wide range of sectors. Loads of brilliant and creative people eager to collaborate and grow their businesses, but stuck working from pokey little offices, home or coffee shops. (Although there are some splendid independent coffee shops in Chichester offering a warm welcome!)
So, over a meet up with one of my oldest, best friends (Lucy and I both grew up here) we decided Chichester deserved somewhere to house and nurture all of these brilliant minds, ideas and businesses.
The idea for Rume2 was born!
Many believe Chichester is stuck in its ways, we disagree! It just needs people who really care about bringing it into the modern age (there are lots of us about!).
Our vision is to bring growth to a city we love. To bring people into the city centre. To use our business experience and skills to create a space that really works hard to help our members succeed.
That’s why we aren’t just offering desks and rooms, we are offering a community backed with solid advice, friendship, collaboration and learning.
I am tapping into my years of owning & growing small businesses with Lucy’s amazing creative and people focused mind to create something with real purpose. Something for the local community, something to improves people’s lives, something to help Chichester prosper.
Oh, and somewhere with really great coffee too :)
Lucy and I are excited to see you all in the new year and be a part of your future success.