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Three Key Reasons to Move Your Business to Essex
Essex is one of the best places in the UK to start a business – and that’s official. A survey by M & A Advisor put the county in the top 10 when it comes to encouraging start-ups, with only a few London boroughs and major cities such as Birmingham and Leeds ahead of them.
With more than 75,000 firms, employing more than 700,00 people, the county has always been a big draw for companies who want to be close to London, without paying the high prices that this often entails. Here Hamiltons Removals, who offer commercial removals to Essex, take a closer look at the advantages the county offers.
1. The Transport Links
The M25, the M11 and the A12 all run through the county, making it one of the best- connected counties in East Anglia (neither Norfolk nor Suffolk boast a motorway), particularly when it comes to London.
There’s the added bonus of Stansted Airport – London’s third largest after Heathrow and Gatwick. Stansted has flights to almost 200 destinations, both in the UK, Europe and further afield; and, in terms of cargo, it handles around a quarter of a million tonnes of goods every year.
Harwich International Port still has passenger ferries to the Hook of Holland, as well as freight-only services to Rotterdam Europort.
The county is also very well connected by rail, particularly to London; the Norwich main line takes in Colchester, Manningtree and Chelmsford en-route to London Liverpool Street, while branch lines go to various additional towns such as Braintree, Clacton and Walton on the Naze. The Thameside line takes in the southern part of the county, with stops at Basildon, Shoeburyness and Southend.
2. The Skills Base
The county has its own university – the main campus is at Wivenhoe Park, but there are also sites at Loughton, Southend and Colchester (pictured above). It’s ranked in the top 30 of all UK colleges and universities, and it has more than 17,000 students (graduate and postgraduate) at any one time; many of these stay on in the county at the end of their studies.
Essex University also has a noted Business School and has helped establish the Knowledge Gateway research and technology park at its Colchester campus.
The county is also home to a wide variety of big businesses. Although agriculture dominates in the north of the county, a report by Grant Thornton showed that a variety of firms, including car dealers, construction companies, haulage businesses and care home providers, were among Essex’s top 10 firms by turnover. Tourism and hospitality is also important for the county’s resorts such as Frinton, Clacton, Walton on the Naze and Southend.
All of these factors help create a flourishing and varied economy, with associated supply chains, and also a large and skilled labour market which employers can tap into.
3. The Back-Up for Businesses
There are a number of support services for companies looking to either move to the county, or to begin trading here. These include Backing Essex Business, which is fully funded by the county council and offers support for companies across the county. The Essex Chamber of Commerce offers more traditional training, events and networking opportunities; it has offices in Colchester (at the Knowledge Gateway), Southend and Harlow.
Essex County Council also offers a range of other support services for businesses throughout the county. These include:
- The BEST Growth Hub, which is administered by the council but funded by the Government; this offers free and impartial advice and support
- Visit Essex, which helps the tourism and hospitality sectors
- And The Green Entrepreneurs’ programme, which lays on virtual workshops for anyone with an environmentally friendly business idea.
Commercial Removals to Essex with Hamiltons Removals
If you are thinking of moving your business to Essex, then East Anglia removal company Hamiltons Removals can offer three decades’ worth of local expertise. Over the years, our commercial clients have been of all types and sizes, Our commercial moving service includes full packing and unpacking as well as dismantling and reassembling of all furniture, and we can also disconnect and reconnect all your computer and IT equipment for you.
To find out more about our commercial removals service, you can follow this link or email info@hamiltonsremovals.co.uk.
Image: UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX
The Best Places in the UK to Move to in 2024
The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list for 2024 has just been released – with places up and down the country being picked for their quality of life with schools, transport links, broadband speeds, culture, green spaces and high streets all forming part of their considerations. Here, Norfolk removal company Hamiltons Removals identifies the main winners, and how we can help you move to all of them.
North Berwick, Scotland
If you are interested in house removals to Scotland, then the resort of North Berwick was the newspaper’s overall winner.
It’s the first Scottish winner in the 12 years the list has been compiled; it scored highly for its beaches, which are crucial to the town’s economy, and the good transport links to Edinburgh.
Wivenhoe, Essex
Closer to our home base in East Anglia, if you are thinking of moving to Essex, then the town of Wivenhoe was chosen as the East of England winner.
The judges praised the welcome it gave to newcomers, its strong artistic community (Wivenhoe has two galleries) and its picturesque nearby scenery, which ensured it was placed above its neighbours in the London commuter belt.
Also mentioned were the town’s seven pubs, the high street (which is full of independent shops) and the attractive architecture.
Norwich and Sheringham, Norfolk
Norfolk’s county town, and the resort of Sheringham, both made the East of England shortlist as well.
The judges noted that Norwich is the only city in the UK which has a national park in its midst – the stretch of the River Wensum which flows through the city is part of the Norfolk Broads.
The city was also praised for its thriving café culture, its cathedral, and its welcoming cosmopolitan nature; Sheringham, meanwhile, was singled out for its Blue Flag beaches which ensured it was one of the North Norfolk coast’s ‘sweet spots’.
Leeds, Yorkshire
Some major UK cities were on the list as well, with the city of Leeds takinh top spot in the North of England category.
Judges noted the fact that it had some of the best paying jobs outside London, boasts not one but five universities, and the fact that it has its own opera, ballet and theatre companies. The city’s shopping offer was another leading feature – including the markets and the Victorian arcades alongside the modern Trinity Leeds development in the city centre.
Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales
Abergavenny took the honour as the best place to live in Wales. Judges mentioned the market, which began in the 13th century and is still thriving today; there’s also a Food Festival in the town which this year is celebrating its silver (25th) anniversary.
The great views offered by the surrounding countryside were also mentioned – the town is on the edge of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.
Portstewart, Co Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Portstewart was chosen as the best place to live in Northern Ireland. The town’s community spirit and its beaches were mentioned with particular praise – with the two combining in the form of beach cleans and litterpicks. The judges called it NI’s ‘most graceful seaside town’.
Away from the beach, the local shops, cafes and restaurants were also highlighted.
Moving in the UK with Hamiltons Removals
All these places have another thing in common – Hamiltons Removals can help you move to all of them.
So, if you are interested in removals to Sheringham, Norwich, Leeds, Abergavenny, Wivenhoe, North Berwick or Portstewart, then get in touch. You can either call us on 01379 855203 or you can kick-start the whole removals process by taking one of our online video surveys for a free quote.