Design Won’t Replace Care: Why People Still Matter Most
Every improvement we’ve ever made at The Hub has started with a conversation. In a world focused on AI, technology and beautifully designed workspaces, I’ve been reflecting on why listening, relationships and genuine care still matter most.
The Small Things That Quietly Make Work Easier
Modern work isn’t just shaped by productivity systems and technology. It’s shaped by caring responsibilities, invisible mental load, flexibility and the environments surrounding us every day. Suzanne Murdock reflects on real life capacity, neighbourhood coworking and the small things that quietly make work easier.
Neighbourhood coworking isn’t a perk. It’s infrastructure.
There’s still a persistent assumption that coworking spaces are something optional, a flexible extra, a nicer place to work if home isn’t quite working, or somewhere people go when they don’t need a “real office.” Even when people recognise their value, it tends to be described in practical terms: desks, meeting room
When Ambition Isn’t the Problem
Why sustainable micro business design starts with your real-life capacity, not others’ expectations. If you run a micro or small business, you may recognise this feeling… I’ve been telling myself for a while now that I feel lost, but the more I sit with that feeling, the more I realise I am not lost at […]
Small business owners don’t lack ambition, they lack capacity
I was genuinely delighted to be invited to take part in #SMESafari in #Warrenpoint, hosted by Warrenpoint Credit Union, alongside Emma Jones CBE and her team. What struck me most throughout the day was just how familiar so many of the stories felt. Different sectors, different stages of business and yet the same underlying the
When Productivity Advice Meets Real Life – A Conversation with Bernie Mitchell on the Coworking Values Podcast
If you’ve ever felt smothered by productivity advice that doesn’t quite match the realities of running a coworking hub or micro business, this conversation will feel like a deep exhale. In this guest episode of the Coworking Values Podcast, I sit down with Bernie Mitchell – long-time champion of the European coworkin
S4E10 Quiet Strength: How Introverted Founders Build Community, Cashflow & Belonging in Neighbourhood Coworking, with Melissa Richards
What does it really take to build a thriving neighbourhood coworking space as an introverted founder especially when you’re juggling cashflow, confidence, and community in equal measure? In this episode of Powering Productivity, Suzanne sits down with Melissa Richards, founder of Buick Mackane, a vibrant creative coworking,
Finding freedom in frameworks: Why structure isn’t the enemy of flow
If you run a small business or lead a coworking space, you already know that structure & systems can be a double-edged word. You crave it the rhythm, the calm, the sense of knowing where things fit but it can really go against the whole human led feel of your business. Yet for all its […]
We’ve been named one of the UK’s 100 most inspiring small businesses
I’m so delighted to share some exciting news. The Hub Newry has been named one of the UK’s 100 most inspiring small businesses for 2025 by the Small Business Saturday campaign. When Patrick and I opened The Hub in 2012, our aim was simple: to create a place where people could work without feeling isolated. […]
How neighbourhood coworking hubs can turn challenges into growth opportunities
Neighbourhood coworking hubs are more than just office spaces. They’re community anchors where micro businesses, freelancers and small teams find connection, focus and the support they need to grow. But right now, many local hub operators are feeling the weight of juggling occupancy, visibility and the emotional labour of ho
Structure that supports: Smart systems for small workspaces & communities
Smart systems for coworking & micro business leaders – structure that supports growth and confidence. What comes to mind when you hear the word structure? If you’re anything like me and most micro business or coworking space leaders, I know it’s probably not a feeling of ease. Maybe it’s more like: More
Why embracing uncertainty is key to sustainable small business leadership
For years, I believed I was resistant to risk. But in truth, embracing uncertainty has become one of my greatest strengths. Moving from London to Ireland not knowing anyone apart from my husband, starting a coworking business in 2012 when the model was almost unknown locally, and steering through Brexit, the absence of governm
Stronger together: How the right partnerships support a sustainable, strategic & human way to work
I didn’t start out thinking partnerships would be the thing that sustained me, but looking back, they’ve made all the difference. When you’re running a coworking space or a micro business, it’s easy to fall into the trap of doing it all. But some of the most powerful progress, both emotionally and operationally has com
Ep.10 What stories do you tell yourself about money, with Carmel Seery
Suzanne talks to Carmel Seery of carmelseery.com, a management accountant. Carmel helps small business owners get control of their business, by helping them build simple processes so that they will always know their cashflow. They talk about – Establishing an accounting process – Money mindset – P
Juggling self-employment with family – the pros and cons
Self-employment isn’t so much a job as a way of life, chances are you’ll be doing the work that you love but is it all a bed of roses and does it really bring continuity to family life? Working for yourself clearly depends on your profession, your situation (where you’re based relative to home, family, [&hell
Are you fed up being lonely at work?
Being lonely at work is bad for business. Shared office spaces bring a community environment and wellbeing as well as a more structured day. Loneliness seems like a very personal, private problem, but it’s much more than that. Loneliness and isolation is a collective issue and at work, loneliness is yet another effect of t
