The Sussex And The City podcast features a guest who knows Sussex microbusinesses inside-out, and isn’t afraid to challenge the assumptions about what drives a regional economy.
🎙️ Rachael Dines, founder of Shake It Up Creative, an ambassador for Worthing Chamber and part of West Sussex Growth Board, joins Richard Freeman to explore whether devolution can work for 1-person startups as well as industrial heavyweights. And what towns like Worthing can teach us about the micro-business economy Sussex-wide.
“The general public probably don’t appreciate how large that number is – how many people are doing amazing things with small teams or just solo, and really contributing to our economy.”
🔍 With 97% of Sussex businesses employing fewer than 50 people, and a staggering 15% all Sussex workers being self-employed, Rachel argues it’s the network economy, not just tech hubs or infrastructure, that defines the region’s entrepreneurial character. But are policymakers listening?
📉 The hidden rungs of the economy
Sussex has more big manufacturing players than people think, especially in Worthing, but Rachael believes the divide between micro-enterprise and big business can be quite stark.
“They feel like a separate community… tucked away on industrial estates, busy doing what they’re doing. And I wish it didn’t feel like that.”
With many small businesses unaware of or disengaged from the Sussex devolution conversation, the challenge is about narrative. How do we build a shared vision for economic growth when the players don’t even know they’re on the same team?
📢 Devolution must reach the grassroots
Rachael’s involved in business support across Sussex, and she’s clear that creative industries, freelancers, and solo traders must be part of the strategy for a future Sussex.
“I don’t think people necessarily know what they’re being asked. But they still need to be asked.”
She urges decision-makers to define what brand Sussex is and ensure the new mayoral authority creates space for collaboration, visibility and long-term investment in the people doing the day-to-day graft.
🧠 Creativity needs confidence, not just capital
The episode also reflects on the tension between creative ambition and economic pressure. With creative and digital businesses identified as key growth sectors, Sussex has the ideas, but not always the strategy.
“We need to help people connect – not just to sell, but to recruit, to build community, and to scale impact, if not necessarily scale size.”
Rachael challenges the myth that bigger is always better, and explores what kind of creative infrastructure would allow Sussex to compete with Oxford, Bristol, or Manchester.
💬 What would Rachael say to a future mayor?
Get deeper into the grassroots.
Recognise what’s already working.
Don't leave micro-businesses behind.
🎧 Listen to the episode now
🔗 Find out more about Shake It Up Creative
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