The phone’s ringing, the dog wants to go for a walk – he’s just jumped up onto the kitchen counter and knocked your paperwork on the floor. You’ve got a meeting in the lounge in half an hour and the neighbour’s just popped in for a chat having seen your car in the drive. To top it all, the washing machine’s just started leaking. Sound familiar?
Surely there’s a better way to run a business!
With countless amenities on your doorstep, convenient transportation and a buoyant hustle and bustle that gets you ‘in the mood’ for work, the benefits of city centre working have long been established and exploited. But did you know more and more firms and working professionals are now seeking office space on the outskirts of a city?
According to a report in Property Wire, office take-up across the six biggest regional office markets in the UK, including Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Bristol, increased by at least 30% in 2014.
As demand for office markets outside London looks set to continue, where is more beneficial for modern firms and professional workers to conduct their working day – is it better to have an office in the city centre or the outskirts?
With bus routes, train stations, and tram stops around every corner, city centres are easy to get to and manoeuvre about in, hence their appeal to a broader workforce. However, we cannot ignore the fact that the vast majority of people in England and Wales still use their cars to get to work.
An RAC report released in 2013 found that seven out of 10 people in rural areas get to work by car rather than the train or bus.
We’ve all been there, anxiously ‘clock watching’ as we’re ground to a sickening halt in a queue in city centre traffic as an important impending meeting draws worryingly closer.
In short, offices located on the edge of town eliminate the problem of being stuck in city centre traffic.
With the majority of workers in Britain still using their cars to get to and from work and to meetings, an office that is close to major road networks but avoids congested city centres is an ultra-convenient and desirable option.
Of course we also cannot ignore the fact that many do choose public transport to get to work. As we wrote in an earlier blog about choosing the location of your office space, an office that is close to major roads and is also not far from public transport, such as bus stops and rail links, will mean workers traveling on public transport are able to reach the office with ease.
Not only are these convenient ‘out of the city centre’ offices great for workers but they also mean clients will be able to reach the venue without having the stress of wrestling with city centres – a valuable business asset.
Take Carrwood Park as an example. Here at Carrwood Park we are just two minutes from the M1 and 15 minutes from Leeds city centre, clients and potential clients will be able to locate the office with ease and feel fresh and optimistic when arriving to a business meeting.
Which brings us on to the issue of parking.
As most of us have experienced, parking in a city centre is not only painfully expensive, it can be nigh impossible.
City centre offices that do have on-site parking are a rarity and it is likely that these valuable spaces are snapped up by company directors or by long-standing workers.
By contrast, offices located on the outskirts of cities usually have room for everyone.
Talking about some of the benefits of renting office space on the outskirts of town, the popular entrepreneur website Evan Carmichael speaks of how “poor parking situations” can result in a “financial and personal concern for employees.”
“As long as your office space is still in a location served well by public transport, the major road networks will provide a relatively clear and simple route to the office, not forgetting, still keeping you as a business within easy reach of the central region,” writes Evan Carmichael.
And then there is the cost to consider. Statistics show that you can enjoy offices on the outskirts of town of exactly the same quality as their city centre rivals for cheaper. When working on tight budgets, renting office space just minutes from a city centre can make a significant difference to monthly overheads and ultimately company profit.
When the convenience, cost-effectiveness and ease of an out-of-town office is considered, opting for an office location on the outskirts of a city is likely to positively affect your branding.
As Carrwood Park wrote in a blog titled ‘How the look and location of your office can affect your branding’, without the headache of wresting city centre traffic, without having to pay elevated parking costs and with the convenience of being able to swing off the motorway into large, purpose-built grounds, employees, colleagues, clients and contractors are likely to show up to the office feeling relaxed, refreshed and ready to do business – a definite brand-enhancer!
For more information about WorkWell’s convenient, quality and friendly offices and meeting rooms on the outskirts of Leeds or Harrogate, download our guide to serviced offices.
New Years resolutions are often made without much thought and are then forgotten about come February. Don’t fall into this trap in 2025.
The new year is a great time for a fresh start, to look back over what did and didn’t work in the previous year, what mistakes were made, and what successes you had. Running a business requires constant review and goal setting, so be inspired by reading our guide on creating a New Year’s Resolution for Small Businesses to help you have a prosperous 2015 with a successful small business.
Just because it is your business doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourself. There are only so many hours in the day, so delegate some of your smaller jobs to another member of staff or consider getting a virtual office so your phone calls can be answered and a message passed on to you.
You can’t expect new customers to hear about your business if you don’t promote your services consistently. What’s more, it doesn’t have to cost the earth. Writing a weekly blog advising your customers is a great and free way (apart from time) to get your voice heard by potential customers.
Networking is a great way to find new customers, get great advice from fellow business owners and also a way to get out of the office. We regularly hold networking events in Leeds here at Carrwood Park.
Goals are an extremely important way to keep your business on track, but don’t be too ambitious or your goals will feel out of reach and easily get cast away. Start small, and once you have reached your goals, you can be more ambitious with the next.
Making your initial goals is one thing, but you don’t know if they are working unless you review them regularly. If they are not going as you expected, don’t be afraid to make adjustments.
As mentioned above, you don’t have to do all the work yourself. But if you don’t have any staff that you can delegate jobs to, then outsourcing may be more feasible for you. If you have an office in your home, you could consider moving into a co-working space where all the maintenance of your desk area is done for you, allowing you to get on with your work.
Consumers are getting savvy about regular marketing techniques. Instead of telling a customer why your product is great, try creating content that makes them realise this on their own. Become an expert in your field and let them learn to trust your brand. They will come to you for your services when they are ready. Take a look at http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/blog/ for some great advice on how content marketing can help your business.
We all like to feel appreciated, your customers are no different. Don’t become like one of the many corporations that refers to their customers as a number on a spreadsheet. Get to know your customers, talk to them and get their feedback. This way you can avoid complaints and improve your services, you will gain fans rather than unloyal customers.
You can always be better at something. Whether you learn more about accounting so your year-end makes more sense, or you improve your marketing skills so you can discuss your advertising more effectively. Just because you learn a new skill doesn’t mean you have to do the work yourself. Having an understanding of something will help you discuss better with your employees and will give you a deeper understanding of what they are saying to you.
Whatever you decide to have as your New Year’s Resolution for your Small Business. Ensure to keep reviewing it and working on it throughout the year. Set a reminder on your phone or email to review your progress at least once a month to ensure you are on track.
From everyone at WorkWell, we would like to wish you a successful 2025!
How would you go about choosing a virtual office? Would you do a quick Google search and go with the first result, or would price be the main factor to influence your decision?
Are you thinking carefully about the services you may need access to and, crucially, the location of the virtual office?
Unfortunately, not all businesses put the right level of thought and research into choosing a virtual office – which often results in the wrong decision being made. Changing virtual offices can be costly, inconvenient and disruptive to your business, and it doesn’t look very professional.
You may be able to work anywhere, but as our blog about choosing a location for a virtual office highlights, your virtual office needs to be in exactly the right location. There are two very important things to consider when looking at the location of your new virtual office:
A professional business address. Virtual offices give smaller businesses the opportunity to have a professional business address where they can receive correspondence and calls, and your address can say a lot about you as a company. Ideally, you need an address near a major city or a big business hub, like Leeds, for example. This connection with a major city instantly conveys the impression that you too are a thriving business in a location close to established business networks, limitless contacts and a wide range of resources.
Convenience and accessibility for meetings. One of the main benefits of virtual offices is access to services like meeting space, which may be available at a discounted rate if you have a virtual office contract. However, this meeting space is only useful if it’s in a convenient, central location that is easy for clients and customers to reach. For example, Carrwood Park in Leeds, which has both virtual offices and meeting rooms, is situated just 2 minutes from a major motorway (the M1) and 15 minutes from Leeds city centre. It also has on-site parking, which is another key thing to check when choosing a virtual office.
With location at the very top of your list of priorities, there are other things you might need in your ideal virtual office, as we mentioned in our ‘What do you need for a virtual office’ blog. For example, do you (or will you in the future) need any of the following?
While some virtual offices simply give you a glamorous-sounding postcode and somewhere to pick up your post, others offer a more flexible solution with a wide range of extra services. For example, many small businesses and freelancers find it incredibly useful to have access to a desk or a meeting room when they need it, on an ad hoc basis.
Ultimately, it could be a good idea to choose an all-in-one facility – one with virtual offices, meeting and co-working spaces in the same complex – as it gives you the option to pick and choose from the services you need, when you need them.
For more advice on how to choose a virtual office, subscribe to the WorkWell blog. If you’re ready and raring to go, why not download our brochure?
If you are looking for quality, friendly and professional virtual offices, Leeds based Carrwood Park provides the perfect virtual office solutions for companies and individuals looking to capitalise on the many benefits these types of offices provide.
Put simply, there are good meetings and there are bad meetings. If you are running a meeting, needless to say, the latter is not a desirable outcome.
Read More about 5 meeting preparations to ensure a successful meeting
Co-working, virtual office space, shared offices, they all give workers who work independently from a ‘traditional’ office the chance to reap the benefits of working alongside other people in a flexible and modern way.
Wrong!
Well, semi-wrong anyway. Whilst modern working environments such as co-working spaces, shared offices, and virtual office space collectively provide independent workers with the chance to network and bypass tiresome office commutes, there are some fundamental differences between them.
As we wrote in an earlier blog, 90% of UK professionals now believe flexible working is the way forward and choosing when and where you work is rapidly snowballing in the UK.
If you are keen to jump into the shared office working environment but are unsure which option of office to go for, take a look at the differences between co-working spaces and virtual offices.
Co-working spaces are essentially shared office environments in which the individuals who use them are not usually part of the same organisation and work independently.
A well-equipped co-working space will include all the essential office equipment, including:
The better the co-working space is, the higher quality and more comfortable the furniture is likely to be. WorkWell’s co-working facilities, for example, include British designer leather furniture for a real luxury working environment.
Other features which are often at workers’ disposal in a co-working space are:
Many larger co-working centres will have presentation and conference facilities available. Having access to a meeting room and presentation facilities can be crucial for giving independent workers and organisations a truly professional edge by enabling them to meet existing or potential clients and interview employees in a professional space.
As the opportunities for networking, collaborating and mentoring with other professionals in co-working centres are prolific, they are popular amongst freelancers and start-ups who want to secure more business and help their business grow.
Being equipped with meeting room access, co-working spaces are also suitable for SMEs who want to work in a professional environment but without the hefty overheads of a traditional office lease.
They are especially popular amongst independent tech and digital workers, who require reliable and fast Wi-Fi and benefit from a ‘buzzing’ working environment.
A virtual office in leeds is the perfect way for a company to invest in their image or brand and consequently increase their visibility and credibility without having to make a heavy investment on office leases.
Virtual offices provide most of the same benefits of having a traditional office, including:
Virtual offices typically come in different packages. For example, Carrwood Park offers four different types of virtual office packages.
The first is the DDi Number package which provides a business with a landline which can either be forwarded to a mobile phone or to a personalised voicemail.
The second option is the Registered Address package which offers a professional business address with mail collection, which receives company mail and forwards it on. Having a professional business address in a lucrative location can have a significant impact on how others perceive an individual professional or a company, which can make the difference between securing contracts and not.
Then there is the Reception Answering option in which a company’s calls are received by a front of house receptionist who then forwards the messages to appropriate individual.
Many virtual offices offer all the mentioned services in one package. For example, Carrwood’s fourth virtual office package gives individuals and organisations the change to work from home or independent of a traditional office but still reap the benefits of having a full virtual office package.
Virtual offices are most suitable for small businesses and start-ups which seek a virtual space and the benefits of a conventional office but are not yet ready to move out of a home office or take on the financial burden of a traditional office lease.
Virtual office users often use virtual office in the initial stage of their development until they are sufficiently big enough or have the financial means to take on ‘actual’ office space.
In short, having a glamorous business address on a business card can go a long way increasing a start-up’s or SME’s credibility.
Whether you opt to work from a co-working space or a decide a virtual office would be more beneficial to your own personal circumstances, these flexible working platforms provide professionals and businesses with a cost-effective, professional and modern way to develop business and nurture company growth.
For more information on hiring quality and well-equipped co-working and virtual office space in Leeds or Harrogate, get in touch with WorkWell.
Not Just Numbers is an accountant and business advisors that specialise in working with SMEs, helping them optimise their business systems and understand their numbers. They have been using serviced office space at Carrwood Park since October 2012, but before, they had used serviced offices elsewhere. Company Director, Debbie Whitaker, had this to say about her previous space:
We previously had used a much larger firm offering serviced offices, but the whole experience was a total nightmare. Their salespeople dazzled us with prices that we thought were extremely reasonable, but then you realise that this is just a base price and everything else is an added extra. By the time you have added a phone on each desk, etc, then the cost is high for the standard and quality of the office space.
Just as an example, say they offer you a space with 3 desks for £600 per month, then you move in to find there’s only one phone between 3 desks, and that it costs £99 for that phone, and it will be an additional £99 for every other phone you want. And as an accounting firm, we often have clients using our address as their registered office address – it’s common practice in the profession. At our previous office space, their salespeople told us this was fine. This was fine for 12 months – and then we were automatically rolled into another 12-month contract with no discussion, bar a one-line email (we were told a meeting would take place 3 months prior to renewal – this didn’t happen). Once tied into another watertight contract, they tried to hit with a near £30 per month per client charge! Any extras, such as meeting rooms and refreshments, were expensive, and if you ran 5 minutes over, you would be charged an additional hour.
Debbie then went on to tell us how Carrwood Park compares to this other firm:
“After I met with Oliver and the team at Carrwood Park, I saw immediately that they were at the other end of the spectrum compared with our previous space. I found them friendly, helpful and genuinely interested in what we were doing as a business. They didn’t treat us like a commodity as the other, much larger company did. And best of all, the rate I was shown by Oliver after explaining what I needed was exactly what I paid. There are no caches, no hidden charges; just open, honest and straightforward services – exactly what I was after! The team even offered their advice and support in getting us out of our existing contracts and into their wonderful space.
Carrwood Park tailored the serviced office package to exactly match my business needs. They were not just telling me what I wanted to hear in order to draw me in. The initial figure you see might be higher than what a giant company would quote you, but you get service and quality 10 times that of any large firm, and in the long term, you definitely save because what you see is what you pay. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending WorkWell to any business looking for prestige office space backed up by friendly, professional service.”
The office Christmas party has been landed with quite a bad reputation in recent years, being thought of either as a dreaded obligation or even a potential ruiner of people’s careers.
If you work from home, you are no longer in a minority. In fact, according to official figures by the Trade Union Congress (TUC), you’re one of more than four million people who now regularly work from home in the UK.
Working from the confines of your own home has its obvious advantages – no lengthy commutes, no time or money wasted on travel, no concern about suits and other fancy work outfits. The list goes on and on. Despite the obvious benefits, homeworking is not all fun and glory. In fact, it can be decidedly un-fun!
Richard Branson started his entrepreneurial career running his first business from a friend’s basement. Branson spent many hours in a lonely, damp and dark basement working on a student magazine called Student.
As Virgin.com states:
“While not all budding entrepreneurs start out in such unglamorous conditions, most are familiar with the strains of working from home or in less than desirable circumstances….”
“…The number one complaint from many who work from home is loneliness, with many people unprepared for the isolated working environment.”
The good news is, that unlike when Richard Branson was starting out back in the 60s, there is now a glamorous, well-facilitated and ‘buzzing’ option for independent homeworkers to work in – co-working centres.
If you lack the banter, companionship and professional surroundings as you battle each day on your own working from home, you may want to consider communal working.
Shared workspace is becoming an increasingly popular way for creatives and freelancers to work. Co-working centres provide office space and facilities for freelancers, start-ups and small businesses to work in a unique environment in which they can collaborate and grow.
Co-working centres provide members with all the benefits of a ‘proper’ office but without the hefty price-tag. They encourage collaboration between members of diverse backgrounds and industries, which can prove instrumental to business growth.
OK so we’ve sold co-working to you. Like the world’s most famous and successful entrepreneur himself, you’re determined to give up the dark and isolated confines of your home office – if you can call it an office – in favour for a desk at a glam co-working office.
But before you do so, you may want to read the following tips on co-working etiquette and ultimately ask yourself the question: Are you polite enough to co-work?!
Collaborate and network by all means, but don’t hard sell to others.
The very essence of co-working is to help independent workers and small business owners network and develop their business ventures. With this in mind, introducing yourself to a fellow co-worker at the coffee machine and talking about what you do is great and almost expected.
Disturbing fellow co-workers by over-zealously shaking everyone’s hand the minute you walk in the office, won’t do you any favours. In fact it might even cause other co-workers to make a mental note, not to visit the centre when you are there!
“Co-working is built on trust”, says Michael Clingan, author of ‘Close That Sale!’ “Using the co-working space to sell violated that trust.”
So running a small business and working for yourself does require some verbal communication via the telephone. Consequently, many co-working centres are equipped with phone lines so workers can have their own landline number.
Whilst the very nature of working under the same roof as other freelancers and creatives demands a lively, buzzing and atmospheric environment – the type many homeworkers both lack and crave – nobody wants to be drowned out or unable to think due to an exceptionally loud fellow co-worker who seems unable to prize their phone from the side of their face.
Respect the fact that people are members of co-working centres to work. If they wanted to work alongside the constant whir of exceptionally loud salespeople on the phone, they would have chosen to work in a call centre!
One of the best parts of giving up your six years of working in a 9 – 5 job in a corporation that got you nowhere is that you no longer have to smile at people you don’t like. However, having the freedom to not be forced to communicate with colleagues you couldn’t give the time of day, shouldn’t mean you have a ticket out sourly scour at everyone you meet.
Your year or two working from home in isolation may have turned you into a tad of a socialising sceptic, but now’s your chance to meet new, like-minded people and even potential friends, providing of course, you’re friendly. What’s more, your friendliness can soon transpire into networking and ultimate business growth.
As Forbes writes:
“The best part about this is that being friendly is actually a covert networking manoeuvre. Co-working communities are excellent sources of information, knowledge, leads and skills, and as you get to know your neighbours, you’ll find ways to help each other out. ”
A rather dishy freelance web designer holds the door open for you as you walk into the office, you smile politely, say thank you spend the rest of the day trying to muse up the courage to ask him to go for a drink. OK so that’s one perk of co-working we’ll refrain from elaborating and jokes aside, every member of a co-working office should be well-mannered and respectful of other members.
As well as being well-mannered and polite throughout the whole of your co-working duration, you should also mind your meal manners.
“If there would be only one rule for all co-working spaces, it would be this: The kitchen is sacred – don’t mess it up,” advises The Muse.
Make good use of the free tea, coffee, water and even beer and wine in some centres, but don’t take the mickey, always tidy up after you and keep your mitts off other people’s goodies!
If you’re freelancing or starting your own business in Yorkshire and miss the banter and facilities of office life, you may want to think of joining WorkWell and our flexible, professional, state-of-the-art and friendly co-working in Leeds and Harrogate.
Following on from our first part of starting a business in Leeds, part two will explore what tools and directories available to help for start-up business in Leeds.
Read More about Starting a business in Leeds: Where to get funding?
