The Office Providers Talking Office Space and Flexible Workspace

This episode is our second that is focused on London and the randomly selected flex space brands are Business Cube, Co-Work and Curve. Our Spotlight on Office Providers series gives an overview of flexible office providers and operators in a particular location. In each episode, we randomly select three flexible space companies from a particular location giving a brief history and an overview of the flexible workspace products that they provide. Normally, we focus on an area or district of London, however, we do find that many of our enquiries are for London as a whole due to companies being somewhat flexible in their positioning and just requiring a business base in the UK capital. Particularly those seeking hybrid workplace solutions where they would like to maintain a London office presence. The companies that we have selected today have created flexible workplace options throughout London in locations including Angel, Borough, the City of London, East London, Greenwich, London Bridge, Midtown and Soho. The types of flexible spaces operated by these brands include private serviced offices, offices with managed facilities and have inclusive billing, offices that are available on flexible contracts, and coworking spaces options that include both dedicated and floating desk options. Information about all flexible office space providers in various districts within London, and their social media feeds which give information about their latest products and ongoing responses to Covid-19, can be found in our ‘London Flexible Office Providers Directory’ which can be found by searching online.

This is our 50th episode which is quite hard to believe! After a delay in launching, we recorded our first episode at the end of February 2020 – just weeks before the magnitude of the Covid-19 pandemic was to be fully recognised. In the following weeks, lockdowns began to be enforced in Europe, and the UK went into its first lockdown in the last week of March. Of course, this made having guests on the various episodes somewhat difficult! So, we carried on recording episodes in-house – often just a solo voice on an episode. We thank you for your support and for the feedback that we have received – it has been truly appreciated! We look forward to recording the next 50, and we hope that as lockdowns lift, we will be recording with more great guests! Our Spotlight on Office Providers series gives an overview of flexible office providers and operators in a particular location. In each episode, we randomly select three flexible space companies from a location giving a brief history and an overview of their flexible workspace products. This is our 2nd SOP episode for Manchester and, today, the randomly selected flex space brands are Flagship, The Offices and Workplace. The companies provide offices and workspace on flexible terms on Deansgate, King Street, the Northern Quarter, and Oxford Street near St Peter’s Square and not too far from the universities. The forms of workspaces operated by these companies include private serviced offices with all-inclusive billing, and coworking space options that include both dedicated or designated desk options and floating or hot desk arrangements. Many businesses in Manchester, as in the rest of the UK, are availing of these various forms of flexible working space options to incorporate into their hybrid or blended working models that facilitate remote flexible working practices. Information about all flexible office space providers in Manchester, including their social media feeds which give information about their latest products and ongoing responses to Covid-19, can be found in the Manchester section of our UK Office Space Providers Directory that can be found below: The Office Providers – United Kingdom This podcast episode has been recorded in a satellite office and not in a studio so we apologise for any reduction in sound quality.

The Spotlight on Office Providers series offers an overview of flexible office space options in a particular location. In each episode, we randomly select three flexible space companies from a location and provide an overview of their flexible workspace products and the variety of choices available to occupiers. This is our second Dublin SOP episode and, today, the randomly selected flex space brands are Arrow Serviced Offices, Iconic Offices and Officepods. This particular group of operators collectively provide flexible workplace options throughout Dublin city centre and County Dublin in areas including Blackrock, D2, D8, Dalkey, Dun Laoghaire, Fitzwilliam Square, Montrose, St Stephen’s Green, Silicon Docks and Tallaght. The types of flexible workspaces operated by these brands include private serviced offices, office spaces that are managed and have all-inclusive billing, offices that are available on flexible contracts, and coworking spaces options that include both dedicated or designated desk options and floating or hot desks. Many businesses, particularly in post-pandemic times, are availing of these various forms of business space to incorporate into their hybrid working models that facilitate remote flexible working teams. We hope that this brief overview is useful and if we can provide any further assistance, please do get in touch and we will be happy to help. Information about all flexible office space companies in Dublin can be found in our ‘Dublin Office Providers Directory’ which can be found by searching online.

Our Spotlight on Office Providers series gives an overview of flexible office providers and operators in a particular location. In each episode, we randomly select three flexible space companies from a location giving a brief history and an overview of their flexible workspace products. Today, the spotlight is focused on Kensington and the randomly selected flex space brands are Kensington Office Group, Pavilion Offices and The Argyll Club. The companies provide flexible workplace options throughout the West London district in locations including Allen Street, Fulham Road, Holland Street, Kensington Church Street, Kensington High Street and Sloane Avenue. As businesses evaluate their post-pandemic commercial real estate models and their use of the office, many are looking to continue with a proportion of their workforce working remotely from home. This will look different for every business and will vary depending on the age of the company, the age of the staff and management board, the sector, the space the company operates in within that sector, the technological requirements, privacy and security considerations, and many other factors. The utilisation of a blended approach to working is being seen as a popular option for some companies that have not fully committed to a full return to the office. With these hybrid workplace models, the companies operate with some of the staff working remotely in a WFH setting, some will work in the headquarters offices and some may work in various satellite locations – possibly in out-of-town business parks and other suburban settings. Companies that take this approach may be able to downsize their headquarter offices and make financial savings. For this reason, premium office space districts such as Kensington are becoming increasingly popular. The flexible offices in locations such as these are often well-equipped with banking-grade networking and telephony, and create working environments that are safe and inviting for employees and clients.  These are highly productive and efficient workspaces that are conducive to facilitating work that simply can’t be recreated in a homeworking environment. Many of the flex space options in Kensington are also equipped with shower and changing facilities, too, making it easier for occupiers to travel to the office by bike or foot and avoid public transport. Information about all flexible workspace providers in Kensington, including their social media feeds which give information about their latest products and ongoing responses to Covid-19, can be found in our ‘Kensington Flexible Office and Workspace Providers Directory’ which can be found by searching online. Note: Due to pandemic restrictions, these podcast episodes are being recorded outside of a studio so we apologise for any reduction in sound quality.

This is an audio version of a blog post written and published by Managing Director, Mike Gardener, on 29th June 2021.  Apologies for the newsjacking-style title, however, the mainstream press has been running with clickbait headlines such as ‘the office is dead’ and ‘will we ever return to the office?’ and so on, since the Covid-19 pandemic triggered lockdowns in March 2020, so, we thought it was fair game. In our last post, we spoke about how businesses are once again examining how they can best make themselves recession-proof and how adding flexibility to office space occupancy agreements may make businesses less vulnerable in the future. Making office space agile, to us, feels like the case for the inoculation program but there will always be disagreement. We can see on every social media platform that there are disagreements over how various governments have dealt with the pandemic, how they have or have not supported businesses, how they have removed individual freedoms, how they are responsible for the hundreds of thousands of closed businesses, the millions that have had their roles made redundant and, of course, we have heard the arguments against vaccines. There have been grand sweeping statements about how businesses should be run in the future, and there is a large contingent that believes that we should now WFH completely and forever. The thing is, this just doesn’t work for every business, nor for every employee. Every business is different, even businesses within the same sector or market vary significantly, as do the individuals within those businesses. This is due to so many factors including the age of the company, the size, the location, the legacy, the management structure, and many other nuanced elements within each company’s business model canvas. Covid-19 did not invent working from home – businesses have known about it for decades. Many had experimented with it and many had already incorporated it into their operations models, however, others had decided it didn’t work for them, their clients nor their employees. The pandemic saw many things grow – online workouts gained millions of views, however, it didn’t mean that people wouldn’t prefer to get to the gym or do a group boot camp session in the park when they got the chance. Peloton saw its subscriber numbers more than double to 4.4 million between Q1 2020 and Q2 2021, yet, surely, cyclists would prefer to be out on the road or in the forests when the lockdowns eased. We all started baking bread and cooking at home – recipe kit companies such as Blue Apron and Hello Fresh saw numbers rise significantly (excuse the pun). Founder of UK-based Mindful Chef, Giles Humphries, advised of a 425% increase in orders in the first few months of the UK lockdowns. Yet this doesn’t mean that we won’t return to restaurants when the lockdowns lift. Online alcohol sales increased significantly as more people drank from home but surely we’d prefer to be in a bar or country pub when we can be. We know that eating and drinking out is more expensive and slower than partaking at home. But it’s a lot better, isn’t it? Businesses knew all about working from home, too. The companies of Silicon Valley have, collectively, spent billions on physical office space in the last decade. We’ve all looked on with envy, or curiosity, at least, at images and videos of the Google and Facebook offices with their meditation rooms, sleep pods, cafeterias that put Whole Foods to shame, slides, creches, gyms and so on. Apple, alone, spent $5bn on creating One Apple Park in Cupertino. Silicon Valley, collectively, did not accidentally forget that there was an internet that could facilitate a remote workforce. (The full blog post can be found on the link above)

Our Spotlight on Providers series gives an overview of flexible office providers and operators in a particular location. In each episode, we randomly select three flexible space companies from a location giving a brief history and an overview of their flexible workspace products. Today, the spotlight is focused on Fitzrovia and the randomly selected flex space brands are 10 Fitzroy, FOR A and WorkPad The companies provide flexible workplace options throughout the district in locations such as Berners Street, Foley Street, near Goodge Street underground tube station, Mortimer Street, Newman Street and Weymouth Street, to name just a few. The charming district of Fitzrovia in Central London and provides a laidback village-like oasis within the bustle of the West End. With a unique blend of 18thcentury architecture and modern office space provision, it is a highly desirable district in which to locate a business. As businesses look to incorporate flexible working into their operations models via hybrid workplace models, many are looking to downsize their HQ offices and upgrade the quality of the commercial real estate that they occupy. This flight to quality is for a variety of reasons – firstly, for many, they want their employees and clients, alike, to feel good about returning to the office – a premium office in Fitzrovia helps with that. Secondly, the money-saving due to the downsizing of footprint means that businesses can accelerate any awaited move to a more desirable office postcode. Also, locations such as Fitzrovia tend to provide high-end luxury offices that are equipped with the facilities and tech that makes collaboration more efficient and productive. Lastly, many of these office properties tend to have showering and changing facilities which means that those travelling to the office can walk, run or cycle and avoid public transport if they so wish. Information about all flexible workspace providers in Fitzrovia, including their social media feeds which give information about their latest products and ongoing responses to Covid-19, can be found in our ‘Fitzrovia Flexible Office and Workspace Providers Directory’ which can be found by searching online. Note: Due to pandemic restrictions, these podcast episodes are being recorded outside of a studio so we apologise for any reduction in sound quality.

Our Spotlight on Providers series gives an overview of individual office providers and operators in a particular location. In each episode, we randomly select three office space providers / workspace operators / office space brands from the location giving a brief history and an overview of the company and their flex space products. Today, the spotlight is focused on Watford in Hertfordshire and the randomly selected flex space brands are Halkin, Imperial Offices and LentaSpace. These workspace companies provide office space in Watford in areas including Croxley Business Park, Clarendon Road, Exchange Road, George Street, and High Street, as well as others throughout the WD postcode area. Information about all flexible workspace providers in Watford, including their social media feeds which give information about their latest products and ongoing responses to Covid-19, can be found in this directory: The Office Providers - Watford  Being less than 30 minutes from the capital by train and in close proximity of the M25 motorway, Watford is becoming an increasingly popular satellite office location for London. Post-Covid, many companies are experimenting with hybrid working models whereby staff can work flexibly and remotely with a blend of working from home and in-office work. Increasingly, London-based companies are investigating areas that are close to the capital for proximity to clients, yet don’t require team members to spend large amounts of time commuting on public transport. Watford is a popular satellite office location due to its proximity to the capital plus the range of workplace options with great transportation links and generous car parking facilities. We have created a directory of workspace companies that provide satellite office options throughout the UK and this can be found by searching: 'The Office Providers – Satellite Office Locations near London'  This directory also provides details of companies that provide satellite workspace options close to other major UK regional cities and large towns. Please note that due to Covid restrictions, these podcast episodes are being recorded outside of a studio so we apologise for any reduction in sound quality.

Our Spotlight on Providers series gives an overview of individual office providers and operators in a particular location. In each episode, we randomly select three office space providers / workspace operators / office space brands from the location giving a brief history and an overview of the company and their flex space products. Today, the spotlight is focused on Aberdeen – aka the Granite City or the Silver City, and the randomly selected flex space brands are Capsule, Centrum and neospace. These workspace companies provide office space in Aberdeen in areas such as Broad Street, Marischal Square, Queens Gardens, Queens Road and Riverside Drive. Information about all flexible workspace providers in Aberdeen, including their social media feeds which give information about their latest products and ongoing responses to Covid-19, can be found in this directory: The Office Providers - Aberdeen  Please note that due to Covid restrictions, these podcast episodes are being recorded outside of a studio so we apologise for any reduction in sound quality.

Our Spotlight on Providers series gives an overview of individual office providers and operators in a particular location. In each episode, we randomly select three office space providers / workspace operators / office space brands from the location giving a brief history and an overview of the company and their flex space products. Today, the spotlight is focused on Leeds in West Yorkshire and the randomly selected flex space brands are Clockwise, Wizu and 2 Work Information about all flexible workspace providers in Leeds, including their social media feeds which give information about their latest products and ongoing responses to Covid-19, can be found in this directory: The Office Providers - Leeds  These workspace companies provide office space in Leeds city centre in areas such as City Square, Greek Street, East Parade, King Street, near Leeds train station, Park Place, Park Row, Park Square, Princes Square, South Parade, the Headrow, Wellington Street and throughout the LS1 and LS2 postcode districts. Please note that due to Covid restrictions, these podcast episodes are being recorded outside of a studio so we apologise for any reduction in sound quality.

Our Spotlight on Providers series gives an overview of individual office providers and operators in a particular location. In each episode, we randomly select three providers/operators/brands from the location giving a brief history and an overview of their flexible space products. Today, the spotlight is focused on London and the randomly selected flex space companies are Convene, Kitt Offices and MYO. Of course, London is made up of many boroughs and districts so we will be doing future episodes that are focused on the providers in various districts in London. Today, we have picked three providers that provide office space in different areas within the UK capital. Information about all flexible workspace providers in London, including their social media feeds which give information about their latest products and ongoing responses to Covid-19, can be found in this directory: The Office Providers - London Please note that due to Covid restrictions, these podcast episodes are being recorded outside of a studio space so we apologise for any reduction in sound quality.

Our Spotlight on Providers series gives an overview of individual office providers and operators in a particular location. In each episode, we randomly select three providers/operators/brands from the location giving a brief history and an overview of their flex space products. Today, the spotlight is focused on Birmingham in the West Midlands and the randomly selected flexible space companies that we are speaking about are Airivo, Basepoint and Orega. Information about all flexible workspace providers and operators in Birmingham, including their social media feeds which give information about their latest products and ongoing responses to Covid-19, can be found here: The Office Providers – Birmingham Please note that due to Covid restrictions, this episode has been recorded outside of a studio so we apologise for any reduction in audio quality.

Our Flex Space Focus series provides an overview of individual flexible workspaces in a particular location. In each episode, we randomly select flex spaces and provide a brief overview of each. This episode is focused on Manchester in the North West of England and the 5 randomly selected flexible office spaces are located on Deansgate, King Street, Piccadilly, the Northern Quarter and Spinnngfields. Information about all flexible workplace solutions in Manchester can be found on our website and this can be found here The Office Providers - Manchester Please note that this episode is recorded outside of a studio so we apologise for any loss in audio quality.

Our Flex Space Focus series provides an overview of individual flexible workspaces in a particular location. In each episode, we randomly select flex spaces and provide a brief overview of each. This episode is our second that is focused on Mayfair in London’s West End and the 5 randomly selected flexible office spaces are located on Berkeley Square, Farm Street, Grosvenor Hill, Mayfair Place and Park Street. Information about all flexible workplace solutions in Mayfair can be found on our website and this can be found by searching ‘Serviced Office Providers Mayfair’. Please note that this podcast episode was recorded outside of a studio due to Covid restrictions so we apologise for any loss in audio quality.

Our Flex Space Focus series provides an overview of individual flexible workspaces in a particular location. In each episode, we randomly select flex spaces and provide a brief overview of each. This episode is focused on South London and the 5 randomly selected flexible office spaces are located in Brixton, Croydon, Purley, Sutton and Vauxhall. Information about all flexible workspaces in South London can be found on our website and this can be found by searching ‘Serviced Office Providers South London’. Please note that this episode was recorded outside of a studio due to Covid restrictions so we apologise for any loss in audio quality.

Our Spotlight on Providers series gives an overview of individual office providers and operators in a particular location. In each episode, we randomly select three providers/operators/brands from the location giving a brief history and an overview of their flex space products. Today, the spotlight is focused on Dublin and the randomly selected flex space brands are Glandore, Huckletree and Us&Co. Information about all flexible workspace providers in Hackney, including their social media feeds which give information about their latest products and ongoing responses to Covid-19, can be found here The Office Providers – Dublin Flexible Office Space Companies Directory Please note that due to Covid restrictions, these podcast episodes are being recorded outside of a studio so we apologise for any reduction in audio quality.