The First of December has arrived! Children around the world are excitedly opening the first door on their advent calendar. If you are a small business, Christmas can be an exceptionally busy time.
Read More about Advent calendar – 25 tips for your small business
Strapped for time? We’ve all heard of the term ‘outsourcing’. Like estate agents and bankers, ‘outsourcing’ was once considered a slightly controversial practice. As global business practices continue to evolve and change, outsourcing is becoming infinitely more widespread, popular and imperative.
So what is stopping you? Read More about Strapped for time? 40 things you should outsource for the entrepreneur
Meetings can be a one-off chance to bring a group of key business people together for an important objective.
Getting the meeting room set up right is so important. If the meeting’s objectives are not met because people are uncomfortable, tired or unable to network due to space or timetable issues, then an important opportunity has been lost.
Here are some easy-to-follow tips on creating the right environment for your meetings and choosing the right meeting room set-up for your planned activities.
(1) The Guest List: Meeting Size
My golden rule when it comes to numbers is ‘walk before you can run’. If this is your first seminar or you haven’t held one for a while, then keep numbers small. It is much better to run 5 smaller sessions for 12 people, than one seminar for 60 people, where half of them don’t turn up. Keeping numbers low allows you to give very targeted content and is much more personal, with each member of the group feeling more valued. This decreases the dropout rate and keeps discussions lively. You can send messages out to larger groups via email, through newsletters or video instead.
(2) The Guest List: Planning Numbers
Follow the “50%:50%:50%” rule. If given sufficient time to diarise a relevant meeting, expect around half the people you invite to give a positive RSVP. From 60 positive RSVPs, the chances are that 30 will show, especially to a free event. As you still need to book and pay for all confirmed attendees, this is even more reason to keep numbers low and maintain personal contact to decrease dropout rate.
(3) Amount of Space
Meeting rooms should be large enough to comfortably accommodate however many people you expect to attend, including all their equipment (bags, coats, briefcases, luggage, etc). Speak to the meeting rooms manager for advice on appropriate space. They should be able to give you detailed information about how much space would be required for meetings with different numbers of people and different seating arrangements.
(4) Best Seating Arrangement for Planning
The best seating arrangement for planning meetings is the ‘horseshoe’ arrangement. If all participants are required to contribute to the same discussion led by a single speaker, the ‘horseshoe’ (with the speaker at the front and everyone in a semicircle around them) allows everyone to comfortably see each other and the projector screen.
(5) Best Seating Arrangement for Discussions
The best seating arrangement for encouraging networking and interactivity among participants is ‘rounds’, whereby you place small tables seating 6-8 people each around the room. If you’re using a projector for some of the meeting, people will have to adjust their chairs so they can see the screen, so there should be sufficient space for them to do so.
(6) Plan for Networking Time
Allowing networking time before and after your event for networking serves a number of purposes. It allows a buffer time for people running late, it allows you time to build personal relationships before the main speakers begin, and if you present at the meeting, it allows you time to answer individual questions afterwards.
(7) Plan Regular Breaks
For meetings of over 2 hours, we recommend that you take a short break, at least every 90 minutes. Even if people just simply stand up and move around, the physical activity will increase blood flow and oxygenation, which will liven everyone up, help them to re-focus and promote better discussions.
(8) Don’t Sell
It is important to show your audience respect, so if they’ve given up valuable time to come to an event, you must not simply sell to them. Giving them valuable information that is relevant in the current economic climate and is targeted to them is the way to encourage people to return. The time when selling may be permissible is in response to questions asked after a presentation, if you identify a business need from your audience that you may be able to help them with.
(9) Offer Refreshments.
Providing refreshments is not only polite, it can give people an opportunity to network informally together during break times, rather than going off-site to buy food. Many new ideas and new business ventures have begun with a chat over coffee.
(10) Appoint a door monitor.
An appointed door monitor avoids those awkward moments and disturbances when outside noise occurs and everyone jumps up to shut the door (or everyone looks at each other wondering who will), or when new people arrive and don’t know where to sit. The door monitor takes charge of opening and closing the door for temperature control and noise level. This allows individuals sitting near the door to concentrate on the meeting, rather than worrying about the comings and goings of other meeting participants.
If you would like to discuss your meeting requirements, do please give us a call. We have many different types of meeting rooms available across the WorkWell locations, and we will be happy to chat with you about how we can help make your meetings successful.
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.
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.
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.
To provide a good, central work location where people can focus, collaborate and develop.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In 2008, a global recession ran riot in a seemingly unstoppable tsunami of despair, bankruptcy and unemployment. The world has known nothing like it on this scale for decades, and yet, amid the chaos, fury and relentless instability brought about, new businesses continue to emerge.
These companies are headed by entrepreneurs with a bold vision and a solid product/service that they have total confidence in. By 2013, some of these companies had, of course, failed, but then that’s nothing new – no matter what state the economy is in, companies start and fail all the time. There is, though, a crop of enterprises that have flourished where others have fallen, and their success lies in being able to overcome inevitable setbacks as they came up.
In the early stages of a new business, it’s important to do as many of the required tasks yourself and not immediately delegate the work to others. The greater variety of important jobs you learn to do yourself, the greater the understanding you garner of how your business is really working. You can use this understanding to hire the best people for each job later, when you have the money, giving you efficiency and cost-effectiveness in your employees.
What works in the first six months of your operation is not necessarily going to work in the six months following it. Circumstances will change, and no matter how thoroughly you plan each stage out, thing will crop up that force you to adapt and alter course. Being robotic and unable to adapt to sudden changes will eliminate you early on. Hold back reserve funds whenever you can to act as a “rainy day” fund, so that when you have to diverge from the plan, you’re ready for it.
When you’re starting out, it’s hard to get banks on board with what you’re doing. Using a method like Crowdfunding is becoming more and more prevalent among small businesses and start-ups. It involves getting individuals and companies to invest and own shares in the company. You can raise the money you need to fund marketing and advertising, which ultimately boosts sales. And once you’re up and running, do everything you can to keep costs and overheads flexible too, so that you can more easily respond to unforeseen changes or developments in the market.
Taking supermarkets as an example, they must receive dozens of new product ideas from entrepreneurs every month, and they’re going to say no to a lot of them. Take a bold step and show the buyers and directors that you have a real product you know they want, and not just ideas on paper. Send them samples; go there in person; don’t just rely on paper evidence.
Overcome the above issues, and your new business will have every chance of surviving the uncertain and sometimes choppy waters our business and economic world is in.
In a dog-eat-dog business world, projecting the right company image is absolutely essential. But you don’t have to spend money with a top marketing company in order to enhance your image! Here are some simple touches to give you a boost
Develop your company logo, business papers, stationery, packaging and if possible, your interior office design to reflect a clean, consistent and professional image to your customers. This will show you as a steadfast, reliable partner that customers can trust and depend on.
Attending local trade shows, charity events and more is a great opportunity for you to publicise and promote your business. You can publicly demonstrate the benefits of your products and services to both existing and potential customers.
Besides developing and maintaining a stream of website and online social media, it is vital that you perform regular checks on its usability. Put yourself in the position of one of your clients, and use the website features – does everything work smoothly? Only by displacing yourself and seeing things through a user’s eyes will you know how to optimise your website and social media.
First impressions are everything, and one of the best ways to ensure a good first impression with new customers is investing in prime office space. Renting space at a top site like Carrwood Park will give you just that. Well-designed offices with comprehensive facilities will speak volumes about your company’s professionalism and success. And when clients see your address, you want them to be instantly impressed and keen to go there. Think about it, if you’re in a poor location where for example there is no proper air conditioning in summer, or not enough parking, how many clients are going to come and see you there?
This is the age of reality television, and the fact is that people love real-life stories of hardship and success. Find an innovative and interesting way to tell your company story to the public to garner interest, respect and admiration.
There are literally dozens of ways for you to enhance your company image. Through location, consistency and community activity, you can communicate to customers the image of a truly successful and professional enterprise. Browse our site and see how we at Carrwood Park can help you along the way.
A commitment to sustainability and reducing your carbon footprint is something to shout about, and it can establish your business as a responsible, ethical brand. It only takes a few new measures to start publicising your new ‘green’ status, and it can even save you money in the long-term.
