25th February, 2010
Living and Working in the Middle of Nowhere
Whitby's a bit of a black hole for young people. Most get to the age of 18 and go off to university never to return. As a result of the lack of big business in this area, many who stay work for small, family run businesses or as part of the ever-growing tourist trade. So what made me think it was a good idea to start a business which relies on a wide customer base who are willing to let a 'youngster' take control of their business's web presence in an area which is 40 miles from the nearest city and surrounded on one side by the North Sea and the other by the inhospitable and sparsely populated North Yorkshire Moors?
Look, it's in the middle of nowhere:
Community
Firstly, Whitby's a small town. I know this can also be seen in a negative way, but with Whitby being a community of only 12,000 or so, getting your name around is relatively easy, especially if you do a good job. Word of mouth is always the best form of advertising. It's free and it means it's not just me trying to persuade clients I know what I'm doing - it's their friend or relative and their arguments carry a lot more weight than mine.
Flexibility and Freedom
Working in a community like Whitby also means I get the flexibility and freedom that I might not have if I worked in a big city, or for an organisation. I'm free to work with who I like and tend to have flexible working relationships with my clients due to my friendly, helpful approach. I can market myself more easily to a variety of markets and as a result get offered jobs which might not otherwise come my way. You'll notice my website header doesn't actually state what I do; this is because I didn't want to be tied to a particular discipline. I'm open to all kinds of work, from web design and development to photography and videography and this flexibility makes my work incredibly interesting and varied.
Quality of Life
All this adds up to a quality of life which is far better than what I would experience if I lived and worked in a city. I prefer the country and if I can run a successful business in this sector and make the most of living in an area which draws millions of visitors each year due to it's natural beauty and relaxed atmosphere then that can't be bad can it?
The Future
I have a feeling that as time goes by, as technology advances and as more people realise that you can run a successful company in a small town, more and more businesses from a wider range of business sectors will spring up in and around the North Yorkshire Moors.
Watch this space.
