It will come as no surprise when we say that there is a distinct shortage of grade A Bristol office space, but there are still plenty of options in the city for companies expanding their teams.
We’ve been talking to a variety of local firms of differing sizes about what it’s like running a business in Bristol. And one topic surfaced again and again – the need for flexible working.
In the past, flexible working was generally associated with senior management teams who were always out of the office, meeting clients and business prospects and were trusted to keep their time in check. Today, the concept of flexible working has completely changed, it’s no longer the preserve of high powered executives and is an integral part of the way businesses function daily.
When businesses visit us here at Origin Workspace looking for somewhere to base their operations, they are all at different stages of growth, but their team structure is pretty similar – it’s agile. They want to know if some of their team can work from our coworking space, giving them city centre access, while some work from their out of town HQ.
Recently, we showed another creative business around our flexible office space which was looking to expand from its base in London. They’d had their fingers burnt previously signing a three-year lease on a traditional office space and were considering using shared office space to make their expansion plans less restrictive and far less daunting.
There’s no doubt that we do business differently these days. Successful firms no longer necessarily have a buzzing office full of employees to prove they’re heading in the right direction. Business owners are choosing office spaces that serve their business needs first and foremost. And that means that not all staff members work under the same roof Monday through to Friday, nine to five.
If you are looking for alternative office spaces here are a few options:
A lot of companies use coworking spaces to support business growth. These spaces are built for purpose to ensure staff who work there have everything they need, from meeting rooms for potential business prospects to team building events like our monthly Workout + Network.
Get fit whilst at work? Yes, absolutely! Here at Origin, wellness is at the core of everything we do. We have regular running group meets, weekly fruit deliveries monthly Workout + Network events and come the spring we’ll have our very swish wellness centre, including a gym! ?? pic.twitter.com/T5KGIMY3rG
— Origin Workspace (@OriginWorkspace) October 3, 2018
We really appreciate the collaborative working environment that Origin Workspace promotes. There’s a real sense of community and comradery; not to mention we’ve found Origin Workspace great from a networking point of view. Its busy events schedule has made it ideal for getting out there and meeting like-minded people, but also to have fun at the same time. – Chris Cook, Cook Corporate, Origin Workspace member
Businesses looking for space that’s more private usually team up with another company to go into partnership on a lease. The feedback we’ve had is that they usually underestimate the operational costs that are involved with running their own bespoke office space.
The big benefit though is the simplicity, for where we are at the moment, we’re on a steep growth trajectory – we’re all working exceptionally hard. I don’t have the time to think about facilities management, business rates and other stuff of that nature. It’s really nice to just have one bill and I know that our workspace is taken care of. This is a big part of what Origin Workspace is all about – doing everything they can so its members are able to just focus on doing their best work. – Luke Trimmings, Appeal Digital, Origin Workspace member
A small office space can be an affordable option that can offer all the resources your business needs to grow. However, this can quickly become an empty shell if you don’t have the team in place first. Recruitment isn’t easy at the best of times but it’s always more difficult hiring people into an empty office.
My membership at Origin Workspace means I get a business community at my fingertips and I can dip and out of that as much as I like. We might be a small company but being based in Origin Workspace means my team can also feel like they are part of something bigger and take advantage of the social opportunities and events that happen in the workspace. Francis Ondoro, True Positive, Origin Workspace member
Whatever option you choose as your next office space, think about how the space you use can help contribute to its growth. Here at Origin Workspace, as well as offering flexible office space, our community hosts are working on a comprehensive employee retention programme to ensure the skilled people you hire to help your business have everything they need to achieve results.
If you are looking for a co-working or flexible working space in Bristol for your business, book a showround today or contact a member of our team to see what a working day looks like at Origin Workspace.
Out of hours
Please note Origin Workspace is now closed if you have an out of hours emergency please continue to call us and you will be diverted to a duty manager. If your enquiry is not urgent, please complete the form on the Contact Us page.
Lounge members,
day pass users & visitors:
Mon-Fri: 8am to 6pm
Office, dedicated desk,
& hot desk members:
Mon-Fri: 6am – 9:45pm
Sat: 9am – 5:45pm
Sun: 9am – 4:45pm
