When work diaries permit, Stephen Smith of Chemical Design meets up with the other ‘three amigos’ who shared an office with him at Fareham Innovation Centre during the early days. The catch-ups are testament to the durable business links forged 10 years ago when all four innovation businesses were getting off the ground, having chosen the newly opened centre to keep occupancy costs to a minimum at a time when spare cash is at a premium for start-ups.
Stephen, the founder owner of Chemical Design, a design agency which specialises in websites, graphic design and online applications for SMEs, started out in a co-working suite here in 2016, having gained repeat business from clients in his freelance career which included agencies across the south coast and London. It was collaborative workspace shared with Paul Dawson of Psion Consulting, which develops smart eyewear for the military, Lewis Rogers of Renderhut Studio, an animation expert, and Peter Eales of MRO Insyte, an industrial data management consultancy.
“We all fed off each other with ideas and challenges and, 10 years on, we meet up a good few times a year,” said Stephen. Stephen remains in a shared office at purpose-built Fareham Innovation Centre, which has provided 545 firms with tailored business support to date since opening in April 2015.
“It suits Chemical Design and, as an example of how a co-working suite can help grow revenue, I draw upon the services of a websites developer who runs his own business in the same room.”
Business support is complimentary for occupiers – and Chemical Design has drawn upon the strategic planning advice of the centre’s Innovation Director over the years.
“Anna Bravington, the Innovation Director, is currently mentoring me on the next stage of Chemical Design’s evolution. Having someone independent to act as a critical friend who keeps you accountable is essential because, as a sole business owner, it can be easy to fall into traps and delays without someone pushing you.”
Mentoring works; based on data from a credit ratings agency, business closures here at the centre have been just 5% compared to the national average of up to 60% in the first four years of trading up to 2024. These days, Chemical Design shares the workspace with the websites’ developer, an SEO specialist, architect, bid writer and medical recruiter, providing a ready-made ecosystem of commercial opportunities.
“I’m utilising the SEO provider on a number of projects, for instance,” said Stephen, who is driven by producing innovative, successful digital solutions for clients.
Fareham Innovation Centre, with 55 offices, 20 workshops and six meeting spaces over 36,376 sq ft, was chosen by Stephen for its proximity to his home, the shared office environment and free mentoring. It was through a funded partnership programme at the centre that led to Chemical Design working on an activity-tracking app for a skydiving company and tested by the Army’s world-famous parachute display team, The Red Devils.
That project involved a University of Southampton student innovating for Chemical Design, one of 155 or so internships, work placements and apprenticeships at the Centre. That year, Stephen was awarded the ‘Greatest Preparation for Graduate Employment’ by the university and continued his student’s work placement for a further six months.
Meanwhile, Stephen will soon be sharing food and drinks with his original co-working colleagues.
It will be a chance for the ‘four amigos’ to chat through business insights and reflect on how far the quartet of businesses have come over the past decade with the support of one another and the team here at Fareham Innovation Centre.
Stephen Smith, founder & owner of Chemical Design
