On the face of it, serviced office space seems like a convenient, ideal solution for businesses which need a fully equipped office that meets all of their needs and is ready to use from day one.
Read More about Hidden costs to look out for when renting a Serviced Office in Leeds
If your company is making the leap and leasing new office space, you have a very important decision to make. How much space do you need? Choosing the right size is crucial for several reasons:
What is the legal requirement for office size?
The crucial thing to consider when working out how much office space you need is the Health and Safety Executive’s guidance on the issue. HSE regulations insist that workrooms have enough space available for people to move within the room and between workstations with ease. When the room is empty, the total volume of the space, when divided by the number of people working in it, should be at least approximately 53.2 square feet.
At dedicated meeting and office spaces like WorkWell, the operating rule of thumb is to leave 60 to 70 square feet of space per person. However, this is dependent on the room size, shape and the furniture and equipment in the space. As a rough guide, a 2-person office requires around 85 square feet per person, whilst a 40-person office will need between 45 and 50 square feet.
Don’t forget about the furniture.
When working out how much space per person you need to allow in your new serviced office, you need to take furniture and equipment out of the equation. These are obstacles that take up a person’s space and restrict movement, so you shouldn’t include these when trying to work out the square feet of a room, for example.
What does your business need?
It’s important to know about the minimum requirement of space per person in offices, but you should only use this as rough guidance and tailor the actual office size to the needs of your business. If you want your team to be comfortable, productive and happy, you should always leave more space than the minimum required.
As we note in our Serviced Office Size Guide, in business, common sense prevails, and the amount of space and equipment an employee will require is intrinsically dependent on what their job is and the type of business you operate. For example, an office for a telephone-based business like a call centre is likely to need less space than another type of company, such as a printing firm.
As our ‘Choosing the right size for your serviced office’ document states, a marketing business or print agency of approximately four employees should ideally have an office of about 280 square feet in size.
By comparison, a procurement agency of around 90 employees would require an office of approximately 7,500 square feet.
A medium-sized agency, like a procurement firm, typically spends a lot of time in the office. Working on the sum that the firm has 90 employees, a business like this would require 95 desks, five meeting rooms and one management office.
Making the best use of office space
Of course, it’s not just the actual space you have that matters in an office, but what you do with it. As we mentioned in an earlier blog, there are ways of setting up an office to maximise productivity, but also to ensure that all workers are comfortable and have pleasant surroundings to work in. The right layout can ensure a good ‘flow’ through the workspace, with all essential equipment within easy reach and the layout as a whole making logical and practical sense. Here are a few tips on efficient office layout to get you started:
WorkWell recommends that a company ideally have an office with 60 – 80 square feet per employee. This is, however, just a general rule of thumb, and the actual office space your firm requires largely depends on the type of business you operate, your budget and what your employees are required to do.
For more tips on choosing an office and an efficient layout, subscribe to the WorkWell blog. You can also download our serviced office checklist to work out exactly what you need in a new office space.
If you’re looking to develop your business through the help of professional and well-facilitated office space, Leeds is a great choice of city in the north of England. WorkWell are a serviced office company that offers great serviced office space and meeting rooms for hire on the outskirts of Leeds.
The digital age has brought with it a whole host of new opportunities for businesses. There are so many incredible products on the market, all promising to make your office more efficient and productive.
Does your current office space meet your business’s culture needs? If not, perhaps it’s time for a change.
Committing to an office space for your business is a big decision. The office you choose now is likely to have a big impact on your business for several years ahead, so it’s important to invest the time to get it right.
Most businesses set out to rent office space with a ‘must-have’ list. Typically, this list consists of practical considerations such as cost, size, accessibility and location.
These practical considerations are extremely important, of course. The ideal office should be within budget but offer plenty of scope for your business to grow. You’ll also want the office to be easy for your employees and clients to get to.
Once these basic needs have been met, we think there’s a much bigger consideration for businesses to think about: the question of the culture match.
Why does culture matter for office space?
The culture of an office space is the one consideration businesses often struggle to put into words. They might comment on how the offices they’re looking at ‘feel’, or they may have an idea of the kind of image they want their new business base to project to their clients.
Either way, the culture of the office space is important as it will determine whether the space you choose is a good fit, or whether something doesn’t quite work.
Culture is important, whether you’re looking at serviced office suites or co-working spaces. The culture of an office building will determine what kinds of other businesses and professionals you’ll be working alongside, the type of features and facilities that are offered, and the general atmosphere of the building.
All these factors will be important to take into consideration, especially if you’re looking for a long-term home for your business.
How do you decide what kind of culture is right for you?
Of course, before you can find an office that has the same kind of culture as your business, it’s important to determine what that culture is.
Some businesses have a very obviously defined culture that’s set out in a business plan or mission statement. Other businesses have a more organically sourced culture that has often evolved from the bottom up.
Whichever camp your business falls into, it might be wise to gain a greater understanding of the values that are important to it before you make a big decision.
There are a number of ways that you can do this. Why not try to sum up your business in five words, get inspiration from companies that are well known for their cultures, or learn more about how to shape the culture of your business?
What questions should you ask when you look around?
The best way to get a feel for the culture of any potential office suites or co-working spaces is to go and look around them in person. We really encourage viewings at Carrwood Park as we think it’s the quickest and most effective way to determine whether a place is a good fit.
While you’re there, a few well-chosen questions can teach you a lot about the culture of a place.
Try asking things like:
What’s the payoff?
We genuinely believe that it’s worth investing the extra time to find an office that sits well with the culture of your business.
A well-matched culture will mean that you and your business feel right at home from the very first day. It will also mean that your new office is likely to continue to meet your needs for longer.
Finally, if you are successful in finding an office space with a complementary culture, the other businesses and professionals who are based there are also likely to be a great match for you. This could be great for networking, skill-sharing, and even socialising.
Does your current office space meet your business’s cultural needs? If not, perhaps it’s time for a change.
With 109,000 businesses in total and a 40% growth in its economy over the last ten years, it’s no surprise that the Leeds City Region is becoming a business haven. Especially for businesses that operate in international markets.
It seems that this trend is only going to continue growing, with a wide range of different office space available in Leeds. From opening a smaller regional office to completely relocating business headquarters, the opportunities for international companies looking to move into offices in Leeds are endless.
The likes of Jet2, GHD and Sky – to name just a few – have all opened offices in Leeds in recent years. And when you look at the many business benefits that the city offers, you’ll understand why! Here are four reasons why international businesses are investing in office space in Leeds:
Did you know that there are over 100,000 students in Leeds? The city is home to three universities and a total of nine higher education establishments – the most outside of London.
Many of these students choose to stay in Leeds once graduating, giving businesses in the region an almost endless supply of potential employees. And, with Leeds’ universities competing with the country’s finest, there’s no doubt that international businesses moving here will have access to some of the very best talent in the world.
As an international business, it’s important to have offices with easy access to an international airport. If any clients need to come in for a meeting, or any employees from your international offices want to drop by for a spot of hot desking, Leeds Airport can offer easy access to most offices in Leeds – just a 30-minute drive to the city centre.
With the airport being slightly out of the city, it also provides easy access to the more rural serviced offices and business centres too. In fact, these more rural offices could provide the ideal location for international businesses – with business centres such as Carrwood Park just 30 minutes away from Leeds Airport, 15 minutes from Leeds City Centre and two minutes from the M1!
Along with the government’s push to create a Northern Powerhouse comes plenty of funding opportunities for businesses in Leeds and the North.
For example, the LEP’s (Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership) Business Growth Programme gives Leeds businesses access to grants ranging from £10,000 to £500,000. Businesses can use this money to invest in land, buildings, equipment, research and so on, with the intention of creating new jobs and encouraging business growth.
The North has also proven a popular location for Chinese investors, with nearby Sheffield receiving billion pound investments to create more jobs. And it seems like this could just be the beginning of these kind of major investments in Northern cities.
The North is famous for having significantly more affordable office space than London and the rest of the South. Some would argue that you get what you pay for. But with average commercial property prices in Leeds standing at £27 per square foot, compared to a staggering £67.50 in London, and a rapidly growing Leeds economy with a vast number of business opportunities, is that extra £40 per square foot really worth it?
From professional services firms to digital media agencies, more and more businesses are recognising the advantages of investing in office space in Leeds. Even some of Leeds’ most luxurious offices can be cheaper than London offices. And with the commercial property prices in London only looking to continue rising, having already increased by 70% in five years, there’s no better time than the present to make the move to Leeds.
Are you an international business leader wanting to open an office in Leeds or Harrogate? Why not book a viewing with WorkWell and discover why we’re the go-to providers of serviced offices?
Where do you want your business to be in ten years’ time? How are you planning to get your business where you want it to be? Are you putting a recruitment plan in place in order to attract fresh talent and generate business growth?
Answering and planning for such questions are vital for commercial success. Believe it or not, an element of achieving business growth objectives lies within having the right office space for staff.
We’ve put together a strategic guideline for businesses wanting to choose the ideal office space for them:
Is Monday morning in your office brimming with optimism and vigour? If not, then it might be time to look for new office premises.
Flexibility is a buzzword in modern office space demands. Research shows that staff are happier when they are given more control over when and where they work.
Allowing staff to work in flexible office space crafts an environment of change, which inspires and motivates employees. Shared serviced offices can provide the ideal environment to meet and network with other companies, creating unique new business opportunities. These opportunities are even further inspired in offices with plenty of third space, using these creative spaces to encourage networking and chance meetings, often resulting in shared moments of genius. With a happier and more creative workforce, staff morale improves, retention rates are heightened, and productivity is generally enhanced.
As Morgan Lovell advise, location is also vitally important when choosing offices. If you’re hoping for a more motivated team, then part of your strategical office plan should consider the location of your space, and how easily accessible it is for commuters.
Consequently, this happier, loyal and more productive workforce will help put your company on the road to achieving the long term milestones you have set.
The size of your office shouldn’t limit the size of your team – the size of your demand should. If part of your ten-year company vision is to grow, then surely you should be working from a space that can cater for the changing size of your business?
As Effective Workplace writes:
“Companies aim to grow, not to remain stagnant. As jobs increase and new business develops, you will find yourself in need of more space to house employees in every department.”
This is when moving into flexible working space, such as shared offices and co-working centres, can prove invaluable, as they give employers the opportunity to move with their business demands. If a business finds itself with a high employee headcount, it needs to have the facilities and space to house the higher volume of staff.
Does your current office environment have space for employees to take time away from their workstations, relax and revitalise their batteries? If not, moving into office space that nurtures that all-important ‘time out’ could prove an invaluable move in generating a strategic working environment.
More and more businesses are placing an emphasis on workspaces which positively impact employee wellbeing. Offices with views, plenty of daylight flooding through windows, and open green spaces on their doorstep, are conducive with boosting wellbeing within the workforce.
As a report from the World Green Building Council notes:
“Longer distance views, away from computer screens or written documents, allow the eyes to adjust and re-focus, which reduces fatigue, headaches, and the effects of eye strain in the long term. Views also have a positive impact on wellbeing, in part by providing a psychological connection with other groups of people while in a safe space.”
Office space is a leading expense for most businesses. As part of strategic company growth planning, you should think of office space as an investment.
When choosing office space, you need to remember that you’re not just buying office space. You’re buying a strategic growth plan. The very best serviced office providers are experts in their field, and should be able to help you with any of your requirements.
Businesses need space where they can work collaboratively, and space to turn off and get comfortable. We’ve spent years looking at the functionality that teams need and how they use their space from day to day. The leading serviced office providers should be using those principles when designing their workspaces – investing in the most effective solutions for helping businesses grow, rather than cutting corners to offer cheaper office space.
Serviced office space, which offers many company essentials as standard, such as high-spec IT systems, meeting rooms at your disposal, car parking spaces, and so on, can mean that companies make significant savings, as opposed to having to pay for individual components that are essential for the day-to-day running of the business.
Is your IT infrastructure slow, temperamental and generally holding your business back? From high-speed Wi-Fi, to a professional IT team ready to offer support should a crisis occur, strategic office space planning should prioritise moving into an office with a high-quality, reliable IT infrastructure. Offices that are home to a high-spec tech infrastructure can help employees sharpen skills and help ease workloads.
The last thing any business wants is to be tied into a contract for a large office, with a tiny workforce occupying it due to an unexpected reduction in business. This is when having flexible office space can prove extremely important. Being able to ‘upsize’ or ‘downsize’ with a moment’s notice can save businesses significant amounts of money, not to mention the embarrassment of having a diminished team rattling around in an oversized office.
Do you want more than just office space? Would you rather have an office that helps your business to grow, engaging and inspiring your employees? As experts in serviced office space, we have years of experience working with businesses to create personalised working environments that bring out the very best in their employees. Why not book a viewing to see our professional serviced offices in Leeds and Harrogate?
With world-class office space often comes great business success. Therefore, it’s no understatement that finding the right office is one of the most important things you’ll do as a business leader or decision-maker.
But finding the perfect workspace for your business is certainly no easy task. It can take up a lot of time and resources, although believe us – when you do find the right space, it will be completely worth it.
With over a decade of industry experience, we’ve helped countless businesses find a workspace where they can truly thrive. But in our time, we’ve also seen several businesses fall short on their search for ideal office space. Are you making any of these mistakes in your search for a new office?
Good things take time. If you expect to find a new office overnight, then prepare to be disappointed. It really is important to take the time to do some in-depth research, or at least allocate another member of your team to this task. Some of the factors that are important to consider are your budget, how much space you need, the office location, and so on. We would always recommend booking viewings at any potential offices before making an investment.
As we mentioned in our previous blog, 80% of businesses want to improve their company culture in 2017. Your office is often one of the most important things that any prospective clients or new team members will judge you on, so it’s important to make sure that your workspace is a true reflection of your brand. If you go about this process the right way, then your office can be one of the most effective business tools available, reinforcing your company’s core values.
Whether you miscalculate your company growth by too much or too little, you’re going to encounter problems. If you overestimate your company’s growth, then you could end up wasting money on space that you’re not using. And if you underestimate your company’s growth, then you may be stuck in a contract in an office that simply isn’t big enough for your team. Of course, neither of these is an ideal situation.
But how is anyone expected to know exactly how their business is going to grow over the coming months or years? Well there are other options! For example, some office providers, including here at Carrwood Park, offer more flexible office solutions. Some of these solutions include being able to move into a larger space within the same business centre and even expanding or reducing the size of your current space.
One of the most common mistakes we see is when businesses automatically assume that a city-centre location is what they need. But this really isn’t always the case. A more rural location could be more suited to your business than you may think, offering benefits such as more cost-effective space, free parking and even a more productive team!
We’re not telling you to set up a business in the middle of nowhere. But a more rural location with easy access to a large city can work wonders – just ask our residents! It really is important to consider your options before deciding what location makes the most sense for your business.
One of the biggest mistakes we see is companies that find their perfect office space and sign a long-term contract. Then, a few years down the line, when they outgrow the space or it doesn’t match their values anymore, they’re stuck in the same office until the contract runs out! This tends to be more of a problem with leased offices rather than serviced offices. There are ways to get around this,s though, such as signing a shorter contract, finding a more flexible office provider as we mentioned above, or paying off the rest of your contract…
We know how easy it can be to make some of these mistakes, but as you can see, there’s always an equally easy solution. With our expert advice, you’ll be on your way to finding your perfect office space in no time! For more tips on serviced offices, employee productivity and other business growth advice, why not subscribe to the Carrwood Park blog?
Are you looking for an office that encourages business growth, working alongside like-minded businesses? Why not book a viewing at one of our high-quality office spaces in Leeds?
Times are changing. Health is becoming substantially more of a consideration in the modern workplace. With sitting down for too long being linked with heart disease, office chairs being linked with back pain and staring at a computer for too long being linked with poor eyesight, employers are now more aware of employee health and safety. Health experts recommend that getting up from your seat and screen once every half an hour, for two minutes, can help prevent many of these negative health effects.
Read More about The future of office furniture pt. 4: office chairs
