Gareth Bullen is the director of Inspire Academy, which is part of Northern Gas Network. NGN has 2400 staff and delivers gas to 2.7 million homes in the north east, northern Cumbria and a large part of Yorkshire.
As well as distributing gas, NGS are also responsible for sorting out gas escapes and installing pipes.
Although Gareth is based just down the road at Thorpe Park, Leeds, he likes to go off-site when holding training sessions and meetings as he believes they are more productive.
So when invited to look round Carrwood Park two years ago, Gareth didn’t hesitate and was so impressed, he hasn’t looked back since, regularly hosting meetings for between five and 120 people.
“They really understand what I need as a business and are both reactive as well as proactive.”
“Carrwood Park is a wonderful environment and a perfect location for bringing staff together.
Not only are the facilities great, but all the offices and meeting rooms are beautifully spacious, light and airy.
The staff are superb – nothing is too much trouble. They really understand our needs, and you never have to ask for anything twice. Holding meetings at Carrwood Park really is stress-free – the meeting rooms are always set out correctly and we have use of the latest technology. As for the catering, this is always superb.
Another reason I enjoy hosting meetings at Carrwood Park, is the fact it is a very flexible venue. Sometimes I run very early morning sessions while at other times, the sessions can run late into the night. But the team are always so accommodating and there is never an issue if meetings overrun.
Because of the relationship I have with Carrwood Park, I consider myself in partnership with them. They really understand what I need as a business and are both reactive as well as proactive.
We have also enjoyed the lovely green space that makes up part of Carrwood Park by hosting staff BBQs – Carrwood Park really is a great environment.
I would recommend Carrwood Park to anybody – not only is it excellent value for money, but it is also a first-rate facility. Far better than using a hotel.”
Emma Easton is the founder of Strand Recruitment which is a recruitment company specialising in finance and HR. They are dedicated to building long term relationships with clients and candidates and are committed to delivering exceptional service designating one point of contact which enables them to have a much more personal approach.
Richard is the Regional Sales Manager for SiBCAS, who provide the manufacture and rental of relocatable and modular building systems. He has had a co-working desk in one of the WorkWell offices for 4 months. We met up with him to ask him a few questions about his time here:
Let’s start with a brief history and description of your company…
SiBCAS has more than 40 years’ experience in the manufacture and rental of relocatable and modular building systems. We have gained an enviable reputation as one of the leading suppliers in the UK of quality buildings which meet the demanding needs of clients from all industry sectors, including education, health, sport and leisure.’
What is it about WorkWell that made you decide to move here?
‘In my role as Regional Sales Manager for Sibcas, I need to cover the whole Yorkshire area. WorkWell is ideally located close to the M1 and other major routes, which allows me to travel quickly to visit clients across Yorkshire.’
What do you like about the offices?
‘In addition to the location, the offices are clean, modern, bright and have a fast wireless connection. In short, it all just works with no hassle. It is also a very safe environment, meaning I can come and go as I please without having to worry about clearing my desk or locking everything away.’
Are the facilities good? What do you think about the facilities WorkWell offers you as a Co-working Customer?
The facilities are excellent. Meeting rooms and refreshments are all on hand should I need to bring a client in for a meeting. Plenty of car parking and friendly, welcoming staff give a very professional image.’
How does Carrwood compare to other office providers?
‘`WorkWell feels more individual than some of the national office providers. I think this makes everyone who works here feel like part of a family rather than just another person in a chain of identical office buildings.’
How do co-working / communal spaces benefit your business?
‘The excellent co-working / communal spaces benefit us when it comes to networking. The informal nature of these spaces makes it easy to approach people for a chat and has led to some good new contacts for our business.’
Does a=Work Wells co-working office space meet your business’s requirements?
‘At this stage, the co-working office space does everything I need it to. If we look to expand the team in Yorkshire, Carrwood Park has larger self-contained office spaces we can look to move into. So we are covered for every eventuality.’
What made you choose the co-working space at WorkWell?
‘All of the above points combined with a very competitive monthly rate made it an easy choice.’
Would you recommend WorkWell to other organisations?
‘I would recommend Carrwood Park to other organisations.’
Take a look at one of our other co-working testimonials: Paul Campbell
We caught up with Angela Dunigan of the NHS Supply Chain, who is based here at WorkWell, to have a chat about how they find our meeting room service. This is what she had to say:
Let’s start with a brief description and background of your company…
NHS Supply Chain provides patient-focused healthcare products and supply chain services to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). We are managed by DHL under a master services agreement with the Business Services Authority (BSA)
Our end-to-end supply chain services incorporate procurement, logistics, e-Commerce and customer and supplier support. With our 2,400 employees, we transact over 325,000 product lines through our systems, procuring a further 386,000 for the NHS to access directly from our suppliers, ranging from bandages to baked beans, from gloves to implants to large high-end medical equipment such as MRI scanners and Linear Accelerators for the treatment of Cancer.
How long have you been using WorkWell for your meeting room space?
The Capital Solutions Team, which manages the medical equipment element of NHS Supply Chain, relocated to WorkWell in April 2014.
What originally attracted your company to WorkWell?
The team needed to move away from their previous site due to the expansion requirements of the business unit. The location and design of the site were a prime driver for the choice, along with the managed service element of the location. We knew we needed to concentrate on the NHS and not on the daily management requirements of the office.
What is it about WorkWell meeting spaces that keeps you coming back?
The service we receive at Carrwood is second to none. As a large organisation, we appreciate what it takes to deliver a 1st class service every day, and this is what the team at WorkWell manage to do.
What, would you say, makes WorkWell stand out from other meeting room providers?
The team listen to our feedback and acts on this. We feel part of the ‘family’ at Carrwood, and as such, we have great staff retention and feedback on working conditions. Our colleagues are the most important part of our business, and as such, we feel in very good hands when supporting our team to provide the best possible service to the NHS.
Would you recommend WorkWell for meeting room space? Why?
If you want to be assured that your meeting place is professional, well managed, and your requirements fully catered for, then you absolutely have the right place at Carrwood Park.
Thank you for your time, Angela.
If you are looking for a professional meeting space with a dedicated team to ensure your meeting runs smoothly and your guests are well catered to.
Please call one of our team on 0113 385 4480 or click the link below to request contact.
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.”
WorkWell catches up with Paul Campbell, a director of Effective Group, a company dedicated to generating online income for clients.
During its 14 years in operation, Effective Group have made more than 500 clients extremely happy, providing websites, SEO, AdWords management, PLA management, social media management and content marketing.
Paul uses WorkWell’s co-working spaces at Carrwood Park to conduct meetings and catch up with his team at regular intervals, as some of them work remotely. Loving the bespoke nature and ‘incredibly quick internet connection’ of Carrwood’s offices, Paul was more than happy to share his views of our communal working spaces.
How long have you been using WorkWell’s co-working spaces?
Effective Group have been using WorkWell’s co-working offices on and off for six years.
What do you like about the offices?
Most of all, I love the bespoke nature of Carrwood Park. You immediately get the vibe of a family-run business that isn’t a chain. You feel that the services are tailor-made for your own specific needs.
The offices are spotless, warm, light and airy. The staff are excellent – friendly yet professional.
Are the facilities good?
The facilities are excellent. Refreshment facilities are at hand, and the internet is incredibly fast, meaning cloud computing is quick and efficient.
How do co-working / communal spaces benefit your business?
Carrwood’s co-working spaces provide the flexibility Effective Group requires. As some Effective Group employees spend a lot of their time working remotely, we find this solution fits our business.
Co-working offices give Effective Group the best of both worlds.
Does Carrwood’s co-working office space meet your business’s requirements?
100%. As I mentioned earlier, our business and employees require flexible working arrangements. WorkWell’s Carrwood Park’s convenient location means we can meet up and spend time together in meetings in an office environment.
Effective Group relies heavily on cloud-based computing, and the facilities and WorkWell cater for our requirements perfectly.
Would you recommend Carrwood to other organisations?
Yes, I would recommend and have recommended WorkWell to other organisations.
Do you see the future of working patterns moving towards a more flexible model?
Without question. In fact, just the other day I read an interesting article about how a large number of young people are working ‘on the move’. Flexible, remote working is definitely the future, and co-working set-ups provide the perfect balance.
There’s no doubt that the serviced office market is a vibrant and dynamic one. But is there really a clear picture in anyone’s mind as to where the industry is going?
In an interview with Carrwood’s own Oliver Corrigan, we explore not only the current state of the serviced office market, but also the future of serviced offices and other issues surrounding the industry as a whole.
1. In the years you’ve been in the serviced office industry, what are some of the most significant ways you’ve seen the industry change?
Firstly, I would say that it has matured as an industry. In the beginning, it was more like a stopgap solution for start-up companies and other small businesses, but now a lot of blue chip and large companies use it as an effective way to keep overheads low and flexible. So essentially what we’ve seen is the industry shift from being dominated by owner-managed enterprises to now being shared between these and corporate structures.
Another key area of development is the addition of value-added workspace. The product offered by serviced office enterprises has become much more complex than just a simple desk area or meeting room. Innovations in furnishing and space have given rise to break-out areas, brainstorming areas, informal meeting spaces and much more. Serviced offices are now about providing a fully comprehensive space in which to work, meet, discuss and develop business.
2. Since 2008, the British economy has seen a decline in the majority of sectors. Despite this, serviced offices continue to prosper and grow – why do you suppose this is? Can this growth be maintained?
Before the recession hit, the truth is that a lot of companies never really had to consider “value for money” as a factor in choosing a workspace. More often than not, companies just went with the most obvious solution before them, regardless of long-term cost considerations or real value for money.
The recession hit and it exposed not only financial weakness in some companies but also their inability to flexibly react to market changes. In serviced offices, people are renting more than just a bit of office space. They are also getting the flexibility to expand and contract as market strength and size dictate. In the post-recession climate, all companies are now being forced to see this huge difference and see that demand isn’t static and therefore they will need to be flexible to react to shifting demand.
Another factor to consider is the trend of manufacturing operations being shifted overseas, which is freeing up a lot of space that used to be factories, warehouses etc. This empty space would still need to be managed and maintained, which increases the burdens on the companies running them. This makes the serviced office sector all the more appealing, as all aspects of building management and maintenance are hired by the host enterprise. It’s no wonder then why many more companies are opting for serviced offices, prompting industry growth.
Companies save on costs and boost flexibility, but without sacrificing prestige and image. Despite what some may have previously thought about serviced offices, it is not a step backwards for a company to take one. In being able to focus entirely on their work operations, companies free up time and resources to attract more talent. You could compare it to the tablet PC, which while having a bigger price tag despite fewer parts, gives users vastly more flexibility through its portability and multifunctional nature, thus giving it incredible value. Serviced offices have the same advantages over regular office space or leased space.
Can industry growth be maintained? I certainly think it can be. Property prices are on the up, and therefore rents are also going up. We are entering a world of globalisation, populated by a more highly educated workforce that is split into small dynamic teams. The serviced office product is there and designed to meet these changes. As long as the industry can stay current, it will grow.
One more factor that helps maintain the growth of the industry is IT infrastructure. IT demands are growing massively, and becoming more complex. At Carrwood, we’re running 60,000 square feet of office space, but individual companies are getting smaller. We have invested tens of thousands of pounds in IT systems for our business park – a financial burden a lot of individual businesses do not want to shoulder alone due to the lower number of staff employed in one area. It gives companies yet another reason to choose serviced offices, as it allows them access to the IT infrastructure viable for hundreds or thousands of staff in a remote 6-person sales office. In fact we have a lot of MDs saying that their IT solutions in their branch office at Carrwood are better than their head office down in London.
3. Can you summarise in one sentence, what you believe is the primary function of the modern office?
To provide a good, central work location where people can focus, collaborate and develop.
4. Sustainability seems to be one of the most prominent focuses now in serviced offices. How important do you think it is to the industry overall? What steps have you implemented to generate sustainability?
Sustainability is certainly something that frequently appears in people’s enquiries when looking for new office space. My family has always been involved in farming, which as a highly mature industry thoroughly understands the importance of long-term sustainability and eliminating waste. Carrwood’s competitors often cite all the ways they make their buildings eco-friendly – a green place for people to work in. But in my opinion, they’re looking at the issue the wrong way around. At Carrwood, we take the user’s perspective as the primary focus, not the building itself. It’s fine to put in green systems, but if you don’t have the in-house know-how of how to run and maintain them yourself, then the benefits are minimized.
For example, where many offices will turn their heating systems off over the weekend to “save energy”, Carrwood would keep them running at a steady low constant. If the heating had been off all weekend, and an employee cranks it up to 24 degrees as soon as they arrive on Monday morning, then the system will run inefficiently and wastefully as it fires up. We at Carrwood would keep the temperature at a steady 18 degrees all weekend, so that when the user comes in they might only need to put it up to 20, and in the long-term a greater saving is made.
5. What’s more important currently in offices, location or quality? Do you think that this will change in future?
The adage “location, location, location” is massively dependent on the industry – I would suggest that quality is ever-increasing in importance, but one can’t ever deny the importance of location. It’s hard to gauge the tipping point between the two. Productivity of staff is more important – so the location must be tailored to maximise this. But location is diminishing in importance somewhat, as technology allows more and more locations to become viable.
Quality is not just a question of fixtures and fittings, but also about layout and know-how. Without the know-how, logic and experience to make a good set-up, then quality doesn’t enhance productivity. To enhance productivity, Carrwood uses workspace, meeting space and the all-important “third space”, such as our atrium, break-out areas and other spaces. These are all designed to give a wow factor and provide a productive environment.
6. Turning to location specifically, there are those who argue that major cities like London, Manchester, Glasgow etc. will always be the office ‘hotspots’, do you agree with that view?
Leeds is a very dynamic and forward-thinking city and has frequently ranked in the top 5 UK for growth rate, best city for business and more. In 2009 it was awarded “One of Europe’s Top 25 Cities for Business”. It’s fair to assume that the top several UK cities will always be top, but HS2 and improving airport links might help shift the dynamic slightly. Technology will also help remove barriers and open up new areas for development. Also, those top cities will only ever remain “hotspots” if they also remain highly liveable. Without liveability, companies can’t hope to attract the best talent for their business.
7. For many years now, technology has been a cornerstone of the productive office, and its importance and influence have only grown. In the coming years, what do you see as, say, the 3 most important technologies that no office can do without?
First, super-high-speed Internet connectivity. The world is using less bandwidth per device but the number of connections is increasing. Serviced offices need to be there to meet the changes. The increasing prevalence of HD and other technological developments will increase demand on capacity, and so faster Internet will definitely be totally indispensable.
Second, Wi-Fi. It needs to be as secure and reliable as hard-wired Internet, and Carrwood is currently investing in new networks to be just that. At any one time, we can have over 170 wireless devices connecting to the network in just one building, with around 120 permanent customers. This is a radical change from 5 years ago when there was only about 25-30% of that connection rate. Providing basic Wi-Fi isn’t good enough. It needs to be sophisticated enough to manage multiple connections and allow our customers the ability to tailor their own company policy despite there being others sharing the space. In 2014 we plan a big shake-up of exactly how we deal with this, allowing customer privacy and simplicity while at the same time flexibility and security.
Third, software allows collaboration and interaction by creating a new “digital space”. The integration of social and collaborative tools will go hand in hand with this, such as moving a monitor feed to a projector feed quickly and simply.
Finally, cloud technology is an extension of the serviced office. Part of our recent IT investment is designed to increase the efficiency of cloud computing in our spaces because people are carrying multiple devices now and cloud computing is what gives seamless integration of data and other information.
8. Can you offer some kind of summarizing ‘prognosis’ regarding the future of the serviced office? What’s going to be the single most important direction that we’re going to see?
The industry is still young but has matured rapidly in recent years. It will continue to mature with more products coming out and will adapt to how businesses want to work. The way I see it, the sector will only grow. It allows customers to increase their space in a dynamic way that gives flexibility to meet new market/customer demand.
Invigor8 is an employee engagement consultancy that helps businesses focus, align and engage with employees in order to better achieve business objectives. Established for 15 years, they work both nationally and internationally, with consultants based across the UK.
Invigor8 needed a central UK hub from which to operate. They had previously been based in leasehold premises and had never used serviced or managed space before.
“Running the centre is their passion, and they really invest the time and effort personally into making sure everything is just right”
“We wanted to find a better location, closer to the motorway network. Carrwood Park first appealed to us because of its location, just a minute away from J46 of the M1. The South Leeds location offers excellent accessibility for our UK-wide clients and consultants, with London being just a couple of hours away. Manchester, Birmingham and the other major cities are also easily accessible.”
Invigor8 has been at Carrwood Park for a year now.
“Our main offices are in Carrwood 5. We have also used Carrwood 4 and Brookfield. We bring clients here from all over Europe, and we have received nothing but positive comments from them about the space. The central areas are managed very well, and all our events have always gone very smoothly. The superior quality of the offices here is brand-enhancing and suits our business needs perfectly.
We also really like that Carrwood Park is family-run, with a locally-based manager. Running the centre is their passion, and they really invest the time and effort personally into making sure everything is just right. Being able to meet and talk to the owners about our and their aspirations meant we could establish trust from very early on, knowing they would do everything they could to meet our needs. When we ask for solutions, they don’t give glib promises; they go away and find one.
At Carrwood Park, what you’re quoted is what you pay – there are no hidden charges. This has not been the case in many other places we have looked at, where additional fees are added on top of the quoted price.
Prior to moving in, we sat down with Oliver and explained what we needed from the space. Aside from our laptops and photocopiers, which we brought with us, Oliver sourced all the other furniture and office equipment for us to our exacting specifications.
We have received an excellent all-round service from Carrwood Park, from helping us with move-in to the day-to-day running of the space. If our business needs remain the same, we would be very happy to remain here after our agreed contract period.”
Peter Gannon, Managing Director,invigor8
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