We’ve set up this blog to share the kind of information that our clients ask us about every day.
Choosing the right space in which to work and hold meetings is vital. It can be the difference between having a happy, productive and creative team or a team that is uninspired, tired and bored. It can be the difference between winning a client or them choosing another company that was easier to get to or looked more professional and established.
Running a great Networking Event can be a struggle for even the most seasoned organiser. We host and see a large number of networking events at Carrwood Park Business Centre in our Leeds meeting rooms, so we have the opportunity to see what works and what doesn’t. Here we will try to educate you by referring to what we have seen in our centres.
BNI is one of the world’s largest networking and referral organisations. It is based upon the idea of “what goes around, comes around,” i.e. that by giving business to others, you will get business in return. All members carry several copies of your business card with them and act as additional salespeople to help members, “increase their business through a structured, positive, and professional “word-of-mouth” program that enables them to develop long-term, meaningful relationships with quality business professionals.” [BNI website]
If you are organising a one-off event, the BNI model does not work. This is because this model relies on the development of trust over time, so regular, structured events are required for this model to work. For one-off networking events, it is best to keep things simple (see advice below). Read a negative and a positive review of the BNI model on The Marketing Spot.
The Best Times for Networking Meetings. For thebest response, I always like to see a shorter evening meeting later in the day. This ensures the networking meeting doesn’t affect working hours too much, or eat into people’s evenings either. I would recommend either 4.30 pm till 7 pm on a Thursday, or a Wednesday breakfast meeting (for a young crowd, evening meetings are best).
I think a simple format works best. Begin with 45 minutes of open networking, followed by a brief 20-minute topical talk, then close with more networking. Give people what they are there for!
For good networking, you need a good team right from the start. Please don’t force everyone to hold their hands up or ask the audience who they know – to me, this seems insincere and very impersonal. It only gives people information they can find in the yellow pages.
It is much better for your team to take time to speak to your guests when they first arrive and say, “I know someone who would be great for you to meet”. You’ve then built the relationship with them and can help them with their contacts. Really, do your homework first to make sure the introductions are relevant. Then what’s not to love about your company, if you’re doing all that for free!
Some of the best networking companies recommend seven guests per one of your team members. This is so you have time to build up a relationship with your guests at the event. It also gives each team member a manageable number of people to find out about before the event, to make your introductions relevant. The more introductions you can think of, the better, so you can keep conversation flowing and keep breaking the groups up if you see conversation going stale.
What people want is an environment where they will meet 2,3,4, or 5 relevant people, in a relaxed atmosphere where they don’t feel too awkward to introduce themselves. If you give them this, they will leave with a positive impression of the meeting and are more likely to recommend your company to others. Additionally, they will come back for your next event.
If it is your first networking event, don’t go for 200 people, as it just won’t work. Aim to place up to 40 select people in a room with 6 or 7 of your own team. This will be enough and will be hard work to get. Remember the 50 – 50 – 50 rule: In order to get 40 people to attend, you would have to invite around 160.
Choosing a talk topic for a networking event is very important. The more relevant the topic, the more people will be interested in attending. Take care to choose a topic that will appeal to your target market. Asking for suggestions from regular group members is an easy way to find out what people are looking for.
Positioning your business in line with the chosen speaker is an excellent marketing opportunity. For example, I could ask Savills to talk about the start-up office space market, because they are one of the largest office space agents. Hosting an event with them, therefore, aligns Carrwood Park with their business and positions us alongside them for credibility in that area.
Absolutely DO NOT try to sell to people in the topical talk. They already know who you are and what you do. You should be offering them free advice and not a sales pitch. If you must sell to them, this can be done via a phone call the next day or in a follow-up e-mail.
If you have done a good job of setting the networking meeting up, choosing a relevant topic and making introductions, the second part of the networking section should happen quite naturally. If your guests drift away, then you didn’t do a good job of the introductions during the first half of the event. If this happens, try to catch people as they look to leave and ask if they met x, y or z (or if there was anyone they would like to meet and didn’t), then do an introduction or email an introduction the next day.
Placing a feedback form on each of the seats will give you good feedback. Carefully crafted questions for lead nurturing will allow you to be more effective with your follow-ups the next day.
And finally, do ensure you send follow-up emails the very next day.
I hope this has given you a brief overview and some useful tips for organising networking meetings.
If you are looking for meeting rooms in Leeds or Harrogate, or would like to discuss any of these points in more detail, please do give me a call on 0113 385 4755
For SMEs, the costs associated with leasing and refurbishing their own offices are often prohibitive. Serviced offices, where businesses have an executive suite within a large business unit, give business owners all the benefits of a modern and clean office environment, without all the management costs or initial outlay in furniture and fittings.
Offices that create an outstanding environment should cater to your specific needs whilst offering flexibility and operational support. This can allow you time and space to focus on running and developing your business more effectively and is highly beneficial to your business culture and team productivity.
Here are five business benefits of a serviced office that you might not have considered:
Your team requires more than a room, it needs an effective working environment – the benefits of a workspace specifically designed to inspire and support your team is essential for reaching your business goals and potential.
The WorkWell approach focuses on creating such an environment, providing highly productive workspaces that are deliberately designed around excelling best practices and workplace strategies. The services provided, from bookable meeting rooms to open-plan break-out spaces and a professionally manned reception desk, are intentionally created to enhance creativity, collaboration, and output.
This, combined with the convenient out-of-town location, ample accessible parking, and rural outside space, means WorkWell offices are ideally placed to offer all the advantages of a carefully curated workspace and the delivery of an exceptional level of service.
Serviced offices offer unparalleled flexibility both in terms of the amount of space you require, the length of time you wish to stay, and overall agreement.
Customer centricity is the key driver for serviced offices, meaning your space can be flexed based on your business needs, including being expanded or reduced in size based on accessibility and the number of staff.
At WorkWell, we offer full consultancy, tailor-made workspace solutions to accommodate your evolving business, and with flexible lease periods, you can choose to adapt as and when your business needs dictate, without being restricted by lengthy contracts or square footage.
With a simple pricing structure for rental fees and with utilities included, serviced offices are incredibly cost-effective. As a business, you will only have one monthly fee, so you can continue to work in confidence without the surprise of unexpected costs:
The overall fee will usually depend on:
Your company’s image is hugely important. Your office branding, address, the standard of meeting rooms, and the availability of areas in which to welcome clients, all convey a professional image and help form a good overall perception of your business.
A professional workspace can help build trust and creditability and can lead to important long-term business relationships, as well as attracting talent to your company. This is proven by the success of the longstanding members who have continued to choose WorkWell Offices as their business base.
Serviced offices provide a valuable opportunity to network and work in a community of like-minded individuals. Areas, such as communal outdoor and open-plan spaces enable members from different businesses and industries to network, opening the possibility of finding shared business interests, opportunities, and collaboration.
At WorkWell, members have access to collective areas and communal spaces, as well as an active calendar of free social events organised by WorkWell and hosted within the landscaped grounds and workspace environment.
Serviced offices allow businesses to simply move in and start work straight away. In contrast, setting up a new office, can be a lengthy process. From finding the right location to agreeing on the lease, through to decorating and furnishing, which all takes time. We cut all of that out, and provide a turnkey solution.
To access more information, or if you wish to discuss your workspace requirements, contact sales@workwelloffices.com
So what’s on this “checklist” of start up culture? And how can serviced offices help you check the box for each element?
1) Getting the right people for the job – it’s absolutely essential you attract the most talented people for the job, and that you keep them. Serviced offices will mean that you can literally focus 100% on choosing the right business team you need. All maintenance, reception, security and other considerations are taken care of by the serviced office provider!
2) Creating a good connection between team members – organising group activities, days out and team-building exercises is made all the easier when you don’t have to worry about the day-to-day running of the office. With all the bases covered at all times, you’re free to foster a really cordial relationship between each member of your team.
3) Giving employees the opportunity to develop – with the myriad of options available in serviced offices, you needn’t have your employees there all day every day chained to their workstations. Thanks to hot desks, virtual office services and flexible meeting rooms, employees can have the freedom they so desire to get their work done.
4) Create an enjoyable and affable atmosphere in which to work – serviced offices like those at Carrwood Park and Brookfield Court provide a light, spacious, free and open space in which to work, all surrounded by stunning grounds and gardens. They are the kind of places people look forward to going to work at.
5) Attractive perks – comfy workspace, flexible times and holidays, free snacks/meals, subsidized gym membership; just some of the perks you could offer which are made easier by the huge range of amenities available in and around serviced office parks.
So whichever way you look at it, it makes sense to choose serviced offices when running a start up company. The road to success for a start up is fret with risk and difficulties, and it’s a well-known fact that only flexibility and adaptability can shepherd the company out of the darkness and into the light! Serviced offices have these qualities in spades – take the space you need for now, and expand your usage as you grow. You can’t ask for a better deal.
Are you running a start up in Carrwood Park? Leave your comments and tell us how serviced offices are helping you to build your own ideal start up culture within your company.
If you’re looking through the WorkWell website, you’ll find a lot of information on our virtual office services. But it could be that you’re still wondering what exactly having a “virtual office” means. Maybe you’re picturing some kind of headset you wear and you see yourself in a computerised office environment, like something out of The Matrix.
You may have heard the term virtual office, and you may be fully aware of the advantages virtual office services can give you, but there’s another question we’re overlooking — who uses them anyway?
The answer is that there are many people and businesses out there that could take advantage of a virtual office service:
Read More about Who uses a virtual office?
Companies all over the world have long held the view that a sensible use of money is to invest in a property to call their very own.
Owning a property represents an extra expense which, on closer inspection, can come off as frivolous and unnecessary, especially when you see that renting can bring annual savings reaching millions of pounds.
When you buy property, you are also buying into a potentially disastrous lack of flexibility. The more flexible you want to be, the more property you’re going to have to buy. Renting spaces for office use, meetings, conferences, or other special projects means that you can take on more space exactly when you need it and where you need it and ensures you’re not wasting money on guessing what might be. It also brings advantages to your employees, often slashing commuting times and boosting productivity.
It was thought that a private building would speak volumes about a business’s strength and stability as a company. And what’s more, it was commonly accepted that buying a building was a solid long-term investment in a solid asset that could act as a safety net if more turbulent times came along.
However, the tides of change have come, and the waters are closing over this prized maxim. A new wave of property rental has swept the world, proving its worth to companies large and small. From global megalith Walmart and its mere cluster of buildings surrounding their central warehouse, to smaller companies like Yell in the UK, who have recently given up their privately owned branch offices, companies large and small are now feeling the benefits of renting office space instead.
Unless you are a property dealer, why tie up more and more of your money in properties? If property is what you’re after, then it’s better to deal exclusively in property. Renting will allow the valuable capital in your business to work for a much more favourable return. Make a smarter move and explore the myriad of rental options available that can save you a fortune.
Renting frees up funds, reduces exposure to unforeseen maintenance and repair costs (which fall to the landlord) and provides a safer, more adaptable workspace for your team. You aren’t locked into the location; renting makes relocation simpler. Letters aren’t locked into a sales process; you can simply exit the tenancy and move on.
If you do even the quickest search for ideal desk set-ups on Pinterest, you will be greeted by thousands upon thousands of inspirational ‘deskscapes.’ From minimalist Mac setups to multi-screen tech-heavy setups, there is a whole chorus of arguments all claiming to have the right answer.
But one thing that we’re certain of is this: the way you set up your desk will have a huge impact on your working day. The technology you can easily access, the comfort level of your seating arrangement, and how inspired your surroundings make you feel will all feed into how productive you are.
It’s probably fair to say that there is no definitive ‘perfect’ desk set up. The ideal desk will differ from employee to employee, so it may be wise to allow each member of your team a level of freedom and personalisation when it comes to setting up their own personal workspace.
Whether you’re preparing to set up your own workspace, a selection of meeting rooms or a whole fleet of office suites, we’d advise keeping the following three considerations in mind.
If you want your team members to be as efficient as possible, it’s important to consider their comfort. Badly considered desks and desk chairs could lead to aches, pains and even limiting health conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome. As many as a third of office-related injuries are believed to be caused by poor workstation set-up.
According to ergonomic principles, the ideal workstation should place the top of the monitor at eye level or just below, with the monitor about an arm’s length away from the body. The chair is arguably the most important element to the whole thing, since it is the chair that needs to support you properly throughout the vast majority of the working day.
It needs to be easily adjustable in case others might need it too, and it should provide support to the whole body when it is seated in a variety of postures. You know that a chair is ergonomically sound if it allows good circulation in the thighs and allows the posture to be maintained with little physical effort. But possibly the most vital consideration when choosing the chair is to ensure that, in height and overall dimensions, it is suited to the type of desk you have opted for.
The twenty-first-century office runs on technology. Your team will constantly be using digital equipment such as a laptop, smartphone, tablet, webcam, microphone, scanner, printer and smart screen. If you want your employees to be as productive as possible, it makes sense to ensure they have vital tech equipment to hand.
Keep the computer monitor between 20 and 40 inches from your face to minimise the risk of eye strain. Also, adjust the monitor so that the centre sits nicely at eye level. Or, if you are a wearer of bifocals, set the monitor around 15 degrees below eye level so that you can see it comfortably when you tilt your head back slightly to look down at it.
We humans are generally visual creatures. Simply put: we like things to look nice! The way a workstation looks will most certainly have an impact on how productive your team members are on a day-to-day basis. And from files to bottles of water, the general clutter of an office desk can be extremely distracting. Even something as simple as having computer wires on your desk can impact productivity.
Although there’s no specific ‘perfect’ desk set up, as you can see, there are plenty of things you can do with your desk to create a more positive impact on your employees.
The serviced offices at WorkWell are fitted out with high-quality and compliant furniture meeting all the above requirements. Taking on serviced office space here removes the worry of having to meet the requirements yourself! If you’re hoping to rent an office in Leeds or Harrogate, why not find out what WorkWell can offer?
A home office — no more getting up at 6 am, no more commuting, no more traffic jams, no more office politics.
It sounds ideal to most people, but after a while, things can start to change, and one realises that perhaps their having a home office is becoming less and less a good idea. Below are several signs that it’s time to move on and change to a new office environment:
No matter how much you spruce up your home office, you still may feel uneasy or unprofessional inviting clients to your home to discuss work. Having a professional business address is an important step in building the confidence and success to expand and improve one’s company image.
In the beginning, you were so excited about being able to work in the relaxed atmosphere of your home; working from the sofa, having the stereo on, being free to take as few or as many breaks as you want. But there comes a time when things get too relaxed and you find yourself getting less and less done each day. This is the time to move on.
The idea of a quiet space for yourself to get work done sounded ideal initially. But as you get into it, you discover that there was a social aspect to an office that you now miss. Choosing a co-working serviced office space is a perfect remedy for this, as it gives you the chance to work alongside like-minded small business owners. Hey it might even allow you to do some networking.
One advantage of working in an office is that when you finish work, you leave the office behind and get some real downtime at home. When your home is your office, you can never get a real clean break from it, and sooner or later it will start to take over your life, and you’ll find it harder and harder to relax at home.
Business is booming and you need to take on staff to help out. You could allow them to work from their own homes, but in fact working in an office with them allows you to train them more efficiently and build up a closer working relationship. An office space with more people in also becomes a stronger ideas zone.
Are you currently working from home? Perhaps you’re already experiencing some or all of the above. Let us know your experiences and perhaps WorkWell can offer the solution you need.
