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What happens when limited energy forces sharper business decisions? One Kent founder says living with MS changed the way she thinks about growth, consistency and the pressure to do more. It also shaped a new local property venture built around a calmer, more supported way to learn. There is a strong lesson here about focus, systems and knowing when adapting is the smarter move. The interesting part is not the diagnosis itself, but how it changed the decisions behind the business. How many firms would be stronger if they stopped chasing more and got clearer on less? kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk…

Kent’s NHS is under strain, and a new home-based care service believes it can release the equivalent of an extra ward of capacity every week. Hospital@Home has launched across the county with a model built around earlier discharge, lower costs and stronger outcomes for suitable patients. The early response has been stronger than expected, and expansion plans are already in view. Could this become a bigger part of how health services are delivered across Kent? kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk…

Alexandra Mesecke has seen return-to-work challenges from several angles. Through more than 10 years in HR, frontline mental health advocacy work, and her own experience of returning after absence, she saw how difficult these situations can be for both employers and employees. That experience led her to create Return Well, a Tunbridge Wells business helping employers access independent clinical workplace assessments and practical return-to-work guidance. In this week's Kent Business Spotlight, Alexandra shares why she launched the business, what employers often misunderstand about absence, and why better support starts with remembering there is a person behind every workplace challenge. Read the full interview in the Kent Business Newsletter: kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk…

A major Kent brownfield site has cleared an important early hurdle, but one local issue still hangs over the plans. Panattoni says support is strong for bringing Marley Works back into employment use, not housing, and interest is already coming from businesses looking for tailored space. That gives the scheme real weight in a part of Kent where jobs, land use and road pressure often collide. The detail that could matter most locally is not the headline support, but what happens next around the A20 and how far any mitigation goes. Could this become a model for brownfield regeneration in Kent, or will traffic concerns define the debate? kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk… @PanattoniTweets

This week’s Kent Business Newsletter is out now. Inside this edition: ➡️ Why Kent employers are being warned to check their payroll records as tougher wage enforcement raises the cost of small mistakes ➡️ How Birketts is strengthening its South East real estate team with two senior appointments ➡️ What living with MS taught one Kent founder about focus, adaptability and building a better business ➡️ Why the UK charity model is under pressure, and how Hub & Spoke is helping organisations manage rising demand and tighter funding Four very different stories, but all with something important to say about how businesses and organisations across Kent are adapting, growing and responding to change. Read the full edition here: kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk…

With me & @julesserkin on the #BBunker Radio Show on Tuesday 16th June Our guest is Lucy Ellis of @includesustoo All the details click here bizradio.co.uk

A Maidstone business has picked up national recognition for work that challenges a long-standing part of healthcare cleaning. Aridom Sanex is building its case around a simple but commercially important question: does effective decontamination really need such heavy chemical use? The answer could have wider consequences for healthcare settings, workplaces and other indoor environments where safety standards are high and expectations are changing. Could this be the kind of Kent innovation that opens new doors across regulated sectors? kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk… @MaidstoneCentre

In today's Kent Business Newsletter we look at the local firms, founders and projects shaping the county. ➡️ In Maidstone, Aridom Sanex is gaining national attention for safer healthcare cleaning and lower-chemical infection control. ➡️ In Lenham, the former Marley Works site has moved a step closer to redevelopment, with strong local backing for new employment space on brownfield land. ➡️ We also look at Kent’s new Hospital@Home service, designed to ease NHS pressure by helping suitable patients receive hospital-level care safely at home. ➡️ And in this week’s Kent Business Spotlight, we meet Alexandra Mesecke, the Tunbridge Wells founder behind Return Well, who is helping employers handle sickness absence, burnout and return-to-work support with more clarity and care. ➡️ Got a business launch, win or story to share? Send it to info@kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk and we’ll help spread the word - for free!

In the home care business, growth is often judged by how long support continues. SureCare East Surrey & Sevenoaks is taking a different view. Its model puts independence, dignity and trust first, with success tied to helping people regain confidence, rebuild daily skills and stay connected to life at home. That creates an interesting question for the wider care sector, especially as demand rises across Sevenoaks and nearby communities. Should the best care providers be measured by how much support they give, or how much independence they help restore? kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk…

Kent’s construction sector has a staffing problem, and one new Maidstone hub is trying to tackle it from two sides at once. It is opening doors for groups often shut out of the industry while training people on the kind of equipment firms increasingly need on site. Could this be the model that finally makes construction careers more accessible in Kent? kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk…

Kent’s new Apprenticeship Awards celebrated some remarkable people, but one point stood out beyond the applause. Despite clear demand, too many young people still cannot find an employer willing to take them on. That made this first county-wide awards night about more than recognition. It exposed a gap between ambition and action. With 125 nominations and support from major employers, there is no shortage of talent. The bigger question is are enough Kent employers doing their part to build the workforce they keep saying they need? kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk…

Today's Kent Business Newsletter focuses on skills, opportunity and the local organisations helping shape Kent’s future. ▶️ We start at Priestfield Stadium, where Kent’s first Apprenticeship Awards celebrated the apprentices, mentors and employers building the county’s next generation of talent. With 125 nominations across sectors including construction, healthcare, digital and horticulture, the event showed why apprenticeships are becoming increasingly important to Kent’s workforce. ▶️ We also look at the new Kent Skills Hub near Maidstone, giving young people, veterans, ex-offenders and career changers hands-on construction training in a live quarry environment, at a time when the industry urgently needs more skilled workers. ▶️ Plus, we feature SureCare East Surrey & Sevenoaks, a family-run care provider helping people stay independent, confident and supported at home. ➡️ Got a business launch, win or story to share? Send it to info@kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk and we’ll help spread the word - for free!

A lot of growing businesses know they need stronger communications. The harder part is finding senior support without adding a full-time board-level salary. That is the gap Kent-based Sam Forrest is aiming at with the launch of GunDog Communications, offering fractional leadership, mentoring and hands-on PR support for firms that want stronger visibility and sharper reputation management. Could flexible senior communications support become the smarter option for growing businesses? kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk…

This is a lovely piece of recognition for Emma O’Brien and the team at Embridge. Being named an Enterprise Vision Awards finalist is a strong result in itself, but what stands out is the kind of leadership being recognised here. Growth matters, of course, but so does the way it is achieved, the culture behind it, and the impact left on other people along the way. Has the idea of strong leadership changed for the better in recent years? kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk… @embridgeconsult

Winning this award once is impressive. Winning it again while expanding is where it gets interesting. Opus, which has an office in Maidstone, has been named one of the Sunday Times Best Places to Work for a second straight year. The bigger story is how the firm is trying to grow without weakening the trust, flexibility and support that staff say matter most. For Kent employers, that raises a bigger question. When a business grows quickly, what gives first: culture or performance? kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk… @opus_llp

This week’s Kent Business Newsletter includes stories of local ambition, resilience and growth across the county. ➡️ We look at how Embridge Consulting founder Emma O’Brien has earned national recognition as a finalist in the 2026 Enterprise Vision Awards, following a remarkable journey of business growth, innovation and personal resilience. ➡️ We also meet Sam Forrest, the experienced communications leader behind GunDog Communications, a new Kent-based consultancy helping growing businesses raise their profile without the cost of a full-time senior hire. ➡️ There is more recognition for Maidstone-based Opus Business Advisory Group too, after the firm was named one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work for the second year running. ➡️ Plus, we highlight more verified local businesses now live on The Kent Business Community, including Team Tactics, Safety First and Return Well. ➡️ Got a business launch, win or story to share? Send it to info@kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk and we’ll help spread the word - for free!

Did you miss it ? Catchup with the #BBunker Radio Show with me , @julesserkin and our guests James Farley @TheJoeBoxCoffee Ruth Farley Reflexology buff.ly/0tcJdEG

In todays Kent Business Newsletter: ▶️ Chartway Group is putting procurement at the centre of its growth plans, with Martin Sanwell leading a more connected approach across materials, supplies, drylining and timber frame. In a tough market, the story shows how better buying, stronger systems and closer teamwork can give a business a real edge. ▶️ There is also movement in Kent’s professional services sector, as Birketts strengthens its Sevenoaks office with senior employee incentives specialist Caroline Geater. ▶️ Away from the boardroom, Furley Page took to the water at Chatham Maritime for the Dragon Boat Challenge, raising money for local charities and showing Kent’s business community at its best. ➡️ Got a business launch, win or story to share? Send it to info@kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk and we’ll help spread the word - for free!

Five acquisitions in 12 months is not a quiet growth story. Gravesend-based Metcor has made another move, this time buying Direct Pump Services as it builds out its industrial services group after Macquarie’s backing. The headline is about the pace, but the bigger question is what this says about demand, competition and control in essential service markets linked to water, maintenance and critical sites. What does a deal like this signal for other Kent businesses eyeing growth through acquisition? Read in full on the Kent Business Newsletter: kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk… or watch it on our new YouTube channel - youtube.com/watch?v=x8XESTW5…

When Clotilde Chohan moved to Whitstable 14 months ago, she spotted a gap. The town is full of independent businesses, places to eat, events and local stories, but visitor information was often scattered across different websites and social channels. So she built Discover Whitstable, a visitor-first platform designed to bring the town together in one useful guide, while helping local businesses attract more visibility and year-round footfall. She has also launched Canterbury Road Consultants, using 25 years of customer strategy and business transformation experience to support SMEs and organisations locally. In our latest Kent Business spotlight, Clotilde shares how falling in love with Whitstable sparked a new business, why coastal towns need better collaboration, and what it takes to build something with real community purpose. Read the full interview in this weeks Kent Business Newsletter: kentbusinessnewsletter.co.uk… #kentbusinesses #Whitstable #kent #smallbusinessowneruk #kentbusinessnewsletter