office space

Famous London Landmark Buildings Being Used as Offices

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When it comes to working in the city, life is rarely dull. From the constantly busy atmosphere through to working locations, London’s business sector is an exciting place for workers of all ages to be. In recent years, more and more companies have begun using famous landmarks as their office buildings of choice. For those who work in them, going to work comes with the simple pleasure of sitting in a building with historic significance, day after day.

Farmiloe-Building-Clerkenwell

The Batman Building in Clerkenwell
Sat in the heart of Clerkenwell is a building known as ‘The Batman Building’. In addition to finding fame for its role in Gotham City, this mid-19th-century glass and leadworks outfit is owned by the Farmiloe family, which was the original family to commission it. In addition to featuring in Batman, it has been snapped up by the producers of Inception and Sherlock Holmes.

Although this Clerkenwell building has continued to be popular amongst movie directors, the owners have since chosen to turn it into offices, targeting multinational corporations like Amazon. While those working for everyday small and medium businesses might not get a look in, the lucky few who do work for multinational corporations in the area may find themselves travelling to Gotham City on a daily basis for their 9 to 5 job.

The Gherkin in the City of London @officeinlondon

The Gherkin
To the rest of the UK the Gherkin is well-known for its role in the business world. When it comes to visitors, however, it is a towering landmark that they’ll forever associate with London’s skyline. As a commercial skyscraper that sits in the heart of London’s financial district, the Gherkin is home to hundreds of city workers, who spend most of their days and weeks toying with the financial market from within its glass walls.

For those who don’t work in the city, the Gherkin presents an excellent opportunity to grab a bite to eat. At the top there is a restaurant, which offers one of the city’s best panoramic views. Those who walk into to play with the stock market may benefit from its luxurious surroundings on a daily basis, but everyday people can enjoy the views without so many city stresses. Continue reading “Famous London Landmark Buildings Being Used as Offices” →

The Top Business Incubators in London

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London Business Incubator LondonOfficeSpace.com @officeinlondonA business incubator is an excellent opportunity for start-up and development stage businesses to grow. Through a variety of supports that include mentorship, office space, financing and more, businesses and entrepreneurs are able to improve networks and develop skills and promising products or services for the market. London is home to some of the world’s top business incubator programmes, including Impact Hub and Accelerator.

Accelerator

Accelerator is a specialist business incubator located in Shoreditch. The district is at the centre of London’s information and communication technology (ICT) and digital media economy. Part of London Metropolitan University, the incubator provides services for students and businesses. For students, Accelerator offers support, advice and advice for any one interested in starting their own business. The program also runs an annual Business Plan Competition for students. From two-day boot camps for entrepreneurs and start-ups to meeting facilities, the incubator offers, the incubator delivers supports for pre-start up, start-up and early stage businesses. Both physical and virtual incubation is available to businesses primarily in the ICT and digital media community, including affordable office space, access to business support and training, networking opportunities, and other resources. For more information, visit www.accelerator-london.com.

Impact Hub Islington

Impact Hub is an international network with more than 8,000 members from around the world. Business and entrepreneurs in London have access to advice, resources and development opportunities from over 40 Impact Hubs in dozens of cities. The collaborative network includes Impact Hub Westminster, which opened in 2011. Impact Hub Islington hosts monthly programmes and events to provide entrepreneurs and businesses with opportunities to connect. With 1,200 members, Impact Hub Islington also makes a community workspace available for entrepreneurs and businesses to meet, connect, and work. The incubator is based in a modern space located at a converted warehouse near Angel tube station in Islington. Visit www.islington.impacthub.net for more information about Impact Hub. Continue reading “The Top Business Incubators in London” →

Central London’s Most Exclusive Offices

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If you are looking to locate your business in an exclusive area of London, then you will most definitely want to have a look at the Knightsbridge area, as this is one of the prime areas of London. London is an expensive place to relocate to any reason, including for your business needs but it is also the financial hub of the UK, so you will be making money back by being so close to all of the action in the business world.

There are few establishments that can compete with what the offices at 64 Knightsbridge have to offer. These amazing office spaces are located close to the green spaces of Hyde Park. The offices at 64 Knightsbridge have a beautiful old front to their building, adding to the appeal to the building, with a very modern feel to the interior. The building has a beautiful classical façade with a business centre that has modern artworks and the latest up to date business technology. The well equipped office spaces are of a very high standard, with meeting rooms, conference rooms and a large boardroom, everything that you will need to run your business to the high standard that is expected in this business capital.

These office spaces are also fully serviced, with all the supporting technology that you could possible want located onsite, including catering and also partner privileges at the five star Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel.

This exclusive centre is the perfect location for your business to be situated, as with such a prestigious location, it will be easy to impress potential and existing clients with the beautiful surroundings. You could take them for a walk through Hyde Park, to any of the fine dining establishments nearby or to the world famous Harrods store.

Notting Hill is also a very sought after location for the higher end of office location, which was of course made popular by the film of the same name. Ledbury Mews North is situated in the W11 area of London, close to Ledbury Road and Westbourne Grove. This office space is a beautiful example of a traditional mews and is in a nice and quiet location, being situated on a no through road which also has restricted parking, which also allows for easy loading and allows for temporary parking.

Regents Street in Mayfair is also one of the most desirable places to have you business located. There are offices available here to rent which have been recently renovated to the expected very high standard. The modern and highly equipped offices are situated in magnificent Grade 2 listed buildings. Rent available on these highly sought after offices can be paid for between 3 months and 5 years.

Additional information on commercial property, real estate, setting up your first office and renting versus buying office space.

3 Million Sq Ft of Office Space Lost in London’s West End

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According to a report nearly 3 million square feet of London’s West End office space was converted into homes or apartments between 2001 and 2009. The report goes on to say that due to the conversion of West End office space into residential homes, competition by companies looking for new premium office space in the area has increased.

The study, undertaken by H2SO, found that a total over four million square feet of West End office space was converted into homes, leisure facilities, restaurants and other alternative uses. In addition the study showed that the drive to convert office space into residences was largely fuelled by high property values, with homes worth twice that of office buildings in key areas such as St James and Mayfair.

Due to the decline of office space in the heart of the West End a large number of new office buildings and business centres are being developed within the Kings Cross, Paddington and Euston areas, which is good news for companies looking for Grade A office accommodation.

London Sees Increase in Office Space Occupancy

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Businesses are being advised to secure new offices as soon as possible to take advantage of current rental deals on offer. According to DTZ, office occupancy costs have fallen at some of the UK’s corporate business centres, in part due to the recession and the eurozone crisis. However, London is still one of the five most expensive places to rent office space in the world, along with Tokyo, Hong Kong, Zurich and Geneva.

Further good news for London office space providers is that in the second half of last year office space rental showed an increase from the previous six months. During the last three months of 2011, office space take-up in London reached three million square feet. Office space availability in London dropped by nine percent over 2011.

For further information and to read the full report please go to DTZ.

Additional information on commercial property, real estate, Central London’s exclusive office centres, setting up your first office and renting versus buying office space.

UK office staff lean towards remote working

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According to a recent survey carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), UK workers believe that by 2020 it will be an absolute norm to work remotely – from home, the cafe, the park or anywhere else – rather than from the cramped and soulless office.

More than 1,150 were asked to predict their career situation and workplace conditions for the year 2020. The majority of respondents admitted being worn down by the increased workload due to the recent recession, causing them to desire for better flexible working arrangements (reported by 47 per cent of respondents). Nearly half (42 per cent) admitted desiring for an improved work/life balance.

Interestingly, only the younger group of respondents (61 per cent of 16-25 year olds) believed they would still be working in an office environment by 2020.
There have been reports that office workers might not need to wait until 2020 for more flexible working arrangements, as many CEOs are already looking to invest in technologies allowing remote operations.

Office Share – The Pros and Cons

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Sharing an office with another person can be difficult. Having a colleague in close quarters with you when you are trying to work can be advantageous or completely unbearable.

It can be beneficial to have another person in your office. They can be someone to brain storm with and discuss ideas and solutions to your work problems or simply just someone to talk to. This can make your day more interesting and motivating. However, sharing your office can cause a lot of problems too, particularly if your job requires quiet and is fast paced and stressful. If you are used to working in your way, having another person in your space can be distracting and even aggravating.

Having an office-mate can be a positive experience. It can be someone to bounce ideas off of and help you to develop those ideas before presentation to your boss. However, it is important to try and allow each other to have personal space, even if it is a small office.

The arrangement of the furniture in the room can either make or break a shared-office relationship. If you can, it can often be good to have some kind of partition in the room, clearly marking your space. If not, just make sure that your desks are far enough apart that you are not bumping into one another every time you move. Also make sure that office equipment that has to be shared, such as printers, fax machines and copiers, are in a position that you can both reach with ease without getting into each other’s way.

Besides the problems that the logistics of the office space itself can cause there are also personality and work-style clashes. Some people like to listen to music while working, and if this is the case it is best to use headphones. Not everyone wants to hear your music and it can be distracting for some. Headphones may help to solve this argument before it even occurs. It can also be a good idea to “stagger” lunchtime as this can provide you with some peace and quiet if you take lunch at different times. This can then allow you to get critical things that require focus done. Continue reading “Office Share – The Pros and Cons” →

Office Art and Decor

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When choosing how to decorate your office it is important to choose art and décor that speaks positively about the environment of the office and sends the right message to both employees and clients.

It can be difficult to choose the right colours, wall hangings or sculptures that not only fit in with the corporate culture but also adhere to a sense of professionalism and will help to create a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for clients. You and your employees also spend a large amount of time in the office so it should be an interesting and motivating place.

Continue reading “Office Art and Decor” →

Managed or Serviced? Office Space Terms Explained

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You’ve got a great product, fantastic idea or provide an important service. Now you need office space or need to relocate your office to bigger, better premises. What are the different types of office space out there? And what would suit your business’s needs? Location is of course extremely important to businesses in the public eye, but there are also other things to consider including how much time you have. Do you want to just sign a contract and move right in without worrying about sorting out reception staff, communications systems or office cleaning. Continue reading “Managed or Serviced? Office Space Terms Explained” →