UK Office Space News

In case you hadn’t already ‘herd’, a former cattle market in the historic market town of Shrewsbury could be transformed into a multimillion pound business hub.

Plans for a £2.6 million business centre could be on the cards, specifically to provide flexible office space for start-up businesses and local small firms with growth on the agenda. If approved, the plans would transform part of the old cattle market site at Shrewsbury’s Battlefield Industrial Estate, creating a 30,000 sq ft business centre with around 20 offices and planners believe it could also generate dozens of jobs in the process.

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In recognition of London‘s status as a highly attractive city to do business, the West End has retaken the title of the world’s most expensive office space location.

The news comes as the West End, a high-profile district in Central London which includes the plush regions of Mayfair and St James’s, surpassed Hong Kong as the priciest city in the world to rent office space. Hong Kong’s rental values dropped by 12% to a still-astronomical price of $22,190 (approx £14,000) per workstation per year, while Central London pipped the Chinese city to the post with a workstation cost of $23,500 (nearly £15,000) per year.

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Start-up firms in Lincolnshire are turning to a business centre in Skegness for affordable office space, meeting venues and virtual office services, as well as help and support in the day-to-day running of their business.

Skegness is perhaps better known as the home of Butlins, big dippers and fish and chips. But it has a serious side – and after a record year in 2012 which saw more start-ups using its business centre services than ever before, the town has its sights firmly set on expanding this positive result in 2013.

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Content Care, a home-based care agecy based in Brackley, has announced their relocation to brand new offices at Greatworth Hall.

The company has grown to date and looks forward to further successes in the future as a result of the change in office space, as MD Margaret McNeal relates:

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A new project to construct new office space for a housing agency – due for construction later this year – could bring over a hundred new jobs to Abergele, in North Wales.

Housing agency, Cartrefi Conwy, is set to establish £2.5 million worth of new headquarters on the North Wales Business Park to provide more office space for its expanding business as well as public community areas.

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The lexicon of office jargon continues to grow as plain English is pushed aside.

From acronyms to animal references, the jargon used in offices across the UK appears to be on the rise. So to share the laughter that arises from these ridiculous phrases dreamt up between the pages of a management manual – here are our top 3:

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Pure Offices, a nationwide serviced office provider, is planning to invest £3 million into a new office space development in Warwick which is due to create around 200 jobs in the local area.

The office space will be located at Tournament Fields, close to the M40, where Pure Offices have purchased around 1 acre of land.

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Businesses in the North East of England have been granted a £25 million loan fund in a bid to regenerate the region.

The money – part of the Growing Places scheme developed by the government – will go towards such ventures as new hotels, wind energy farms and office space for various local businesses. Site and firms both will receive the chance to acquire financial backing.

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Over two-thirds of UK companies believe that flexible working has increased the productivity levels of the humble office worker.

In a study carried out by serviced office provider Regus, 68% of UK firms reported increased productivity as a result of flexible working practices – with additional benefits including a rise in moral, health and even making you more likely to retain talented employees.

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Top tips to avoid ending up with an office you don’t like or one that gives the wrong impression about your business.

The second part of our guide to renting an office space that’s ideal for you looks at how to keep costs down and how higher rents might not always make you worse off in the long run.

Having the right office will define your business, it is where your greatest business ideas are generated, where best practices are developed and where  potential clients get an insight into your businesses.

Don’t let expenses get in the way of functionality and practicality, It is easy to get caught up in the costs that are involved when looking for office space for rent. It’s always easy, especially in times of austerity to go for the cheapest option. A business decision made poorly can end up in affecting your company for the worst in the long term.

You may often find that the most economical offices may have slightly higher rent, but offer a better location, greater flexibility and have all the facilities you require in one place. You also need to consider fit out costs, incurred travel expenses and additional space requirements such as meeting rooms all need to be considered with your office lease.

It may sound obvious but it’s essential never to forget that your staff are a vital asset to your business. Always consider their needs when looking at potential office spaces to rent.

It’s important to ask whether your new office has the equipment necessary for all your business activities, and if it doesn’t how easy is it to put the required infrastructure in place.

Perhaps most importantly don’t get trapped into only thinking about the present state of your business. Furthermore, the majority of companies are looking to grow so consider how your new office space will cater to all future business needs you may have.

It would also be wise to consider the other end of the spectrum that if you require it will your new space allow you to downsize.

By avoiding and following these pitfalls you can prevent unnecessary conflicts that can be associated with renting office space.