It was once the go-to traditional seaside resort for residents of Essex and London – but throughout the last few decades, Clacton-on-Sea has grown to become much more than a holiday destination.
More and more companies are choosing to set up shop in Clacton, and as a result, the economy here has never been so strong!
So why is Clacton-on-Sea becoming such a popular base for businesses?
Long-term regeneration has been key to improving the town’s business prospects
Clacton hasn’t evolved into such an important business hub by accident.
Tendring District Council released their Clacton Town Centre Vision in 2009, and you can see from this document that they were planning to regenerate the area to not only benefit residents and visitors, but also to encourage companies to choose Clacton as their new corporate home.
The council were the first to admit that Clacton is a “particularly important driver in the economy of the area”, so making it attractive to growing businesses has clearly been a priority since the turn of the decade.
Providing ongoing support for companies is encouraging them to stay put
But bringing new businesses to the area is only half the battle. Once they’re up and running, they need expert guidance if they’re going to flourish.
Luckily, Clacton’s got this covered! The BEST Growth Hub initiative offers unprecedented advice and support to companies, and Clacton’s branch is based at the easily accessible Enterprise Centre on Davy Road.
Lower business rates are reducing the risk of financial failure
Essex-based businesses may also be keen to move to Clacton-on-Sea because of the lower rents and business rates here. It’s no secret that Chelmsford, Colchester and the other more prominent locations in the county charge sky-high fees for business premises, and these huge overheads are crippling SMEs who don’t have the financial clout of bigger organisations. Relocating to Clacton could make good monetary sense for companies who don’t need a physical High Street presence, such as B2B service providers and online retailers.
How has Clacton’s growing business community affected Design FX Studio?
From a personal perspective, I’ve definitely noticed a definite uplift in enquiries with Design FX Studio from so-called ‘sleepy’ seaside towns, including Clacton-on-Sea, Frinton-on-Sea and the surrounding villages that line the north eastern coast of Essex.
In fact, I’ve been lucky enough to work with many companies in this part of the county, from up-and-coming startups to more established businesses that have been keen to relaunch their brands to a wider audience.
Clients I’ve worked with in and around Clacton-on-Sea
A great example of a successful Clacton-based organisation is Seaside Care Homes, a provider of exceptional home and residential care services for children and young people.
The company first started out as Children’s Respite Care back in 2008. Several years later, in 2012, they decided they wanted to ramp up their marketing approach – so they contacted me with a view to completely overhauling their brand.
I developed colourful, co-ordinated graphics that would better reflect what’s on offer from the company. I revamped the company logo and created some sparking new corporate stationery; I also redesigned and redeveloped the website to give it a more professional feel. I’m pleased to say that Seaside Care Homes have grown from strength to strength since they initially enquired with me, and I’ve been working with them ever since!
Another Clacton company of note is Neville Green Mortgages. This brokerage firm had been established in the local area for years before the business owner decided to invest in his business’ brand. Once I had redeveloped their first website and completely overhauled their corporate imagery, he and his team were in a position to confidently showcase their services online, and they couldn’t be more pleased with their new logo and professional promotional graphics.
I’ve provided a range of design, marketing and print management services to plenty of businesses in nearby Frinton-on-Sea, too. I’ve designed and developed not one, but TWO complete websites for family-run PG Oxley; I’ve composed adverts, logos and signage for The Old Library Dental Surgery; and more recently I’ve worked on a property brochure design project for Paveys Estate Agents on Connaught Avenue.
It’s clear to me that Clacton-on-Sea and Frinton-on-Sea are towns to watch in terms of business growth – and this can only mean more opportunities for graphic designers and other creatives in the area who thrive on working with local clients.