About

What we offer through the Shaking Hands Interactive Partnership is a platform for well-run small-medium businesses in Croydon to communicate, collaborate, and shape the future of good business in Croydon.

Who are we?

Born and bred in Croydon, the Shaking Hands team is comprised of business experts, publishing professionals, and web gurus. All of whom are committed to bringing small-medium businesses in Croydon to the forefront of the UK stage.

Unlike most organisations, Shaking Hands Interactive Partnership is not comprised of management, middle management, and clients. Instead, each of our partners, staff, members and service providers play an intrinsic part in Shaking Hands’ philosophy of building long-term, sustainable business relationships within the borough.

To find out more about the team at Shaking Hands, feel free to browse our website, connect with us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, or get in touch via our contact page.

What are we about?

Rather than navigating a harsh business world alone, Shaking Hands is providing a platform for small-medium businesses to stay updated, stay in the know (keep out of hot water!), share their expertise, minimise overheads, get well connected locally, and optimise the smooth-running of their business.

How can we do this? Visit ‘The Partnership’ page to find out all of the member benefits that you, the business owner, can enjoy as part of the Shaking Hands Interactive Partnership.

When was Shaking Hands created?

Conceived by Robert O’Sullivan in May 2015, and later remodelled and developed with the help of co-founder Laurence Grant, Shaking Hands launched on January 18 2016 to become what it is today.

Shaking Hands is a project that is constantly being refined, diversified and expanded to cater to the needs of all small-medium businesses in Croydon.

Where are we based?

By offering our services solely in the Croydon area, Shaking Hands is able to concentrate its efforts, events and collaborative projects in one place.

Knowing of Croydon’s potential and constant innovation, Shaking Hands is committed to bringing small-medium businesses in Croydon to the centre of the UK business arena. Exactly where they deserve to be.

Why are we here?

Aside from being the home of the Shaking Hands team, Croydon is one of the biggest, and fastest growing boroughs in the UK. Its tech hub is the most innovative in London; its transport network provides a corridor between London and the South Coast; it has attracted the investments of Westfield, Hammerson, Minerva and many other international property developers; and its culture has spawned some of the most incredible talents and trends in recent history.

For small-medium businesses, Shaking Hands will be a lifeline to keeping you informed on what is happening now, and what is to come. From pension regulations and apprenticeship programmes to billion-pound developments and local breaking-news, small-medium business in Croydon can not afford to remain out of the loop. If you’re a small-medium business owner, forced on to the fringes of a thriving city, we are here to get you back in business.

Why now?

Here is a list of things to come that local small-medium businesses ought to be aware of:

• Croydon is soon to become London’s biggest metropolitan centre
• Planning: a £5.25 billion investment programme will come to Croydon over the next 5 years
• Transport: Equidistant to both central London and Gatwick, only 15 minutes either way.
• Populous: Within a 30 minute commute of Croydon, there are approximately 1.1million economically active individuals.
• Around the year 2020, Croydon will host another 9,500 households across the region as a “GLA designated opportunity area”.
• A new university campus is on the cards, to add to some of the best schools of thought in the UK.
• BoxPark, the pop up retail centre is due to arrive next to East Croydon station in the coming year. A concept that has been a great success for SMEs in Shoreditch.