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Supporting West London Businesses During the Pandemic
The past year has been anything but easy. But, buoyed by the government’s ‘roadmap’ strategy, many entrepreneurs are now doubling down with renewed optimism and forging ahead. The good news is, entrepreneurs in Hounslow benefit from an established business culture that has become known as a hub for creative industries, along with exemplary transport connections to Central and Greater London and the rest of the UK, providing fertile ground for growing businesses and start-ups. Indeed, while it may seem strange to launch a business during a pandemic, that’s exactly what thousands of people are doing. More than 101,000 new UK businesses were created between October and December 2020, 24% more than the same period in 2019 (ONS). This is for many different reasons, but among them, 69% of new entrepreneurs said that lockdown gave them the push they needed to start a business, according to Virgin Startup. At UBC, we work with businesses of all sizes and industries from our offices in Brentford, and the west London region has no shortage of innovative entrepreneurs who are continuing to adapt and rise to the current challenges. We are seeing regular enquiries from businesses for our flexible office space in The Mille (Brentford), particularly from small business owners and start-up entrepreneurs who need flexible office space because they do not have a suitable or quiet enough space to work at home. With short terms, affordable allinclusive pricing, and the ability to upsize (or downsize) quickly and easily, workplace flexibility is becoming an essential part of every company’s growth plan going forward. We are happy to have the opportunity to support the current needs and future growth plans of west London businesses, and we look forward to helping local business owners move forwards to a stronger ‘new normal’ in 2021, and beyond. If you are starting, running, or growing a business and want help with workspace or growth support, contact the UBC team at ubcuk.com.
Chiswick Flower Market wins national accolade
The Chiswick Flower Market has been chosen by the national High Streets Task Force as an example of the kind of project which is revitalising local communities. Organisers of the market say they were “delighted” with the news. A spokesperson said: “Revitalising the high road economy is exactly what we set out to do. We are really pleased to be able to share with others what we have learned.”
The High Streets Task Force was commissioned by the government in 2019 as part of its strategy for the high street – and in particular, to redefine high roads in the era of online shopping. It has chosen the Chiswick Flower Market as a shining example of best practice. It is a community-led project set up by a group of local residents on an entirely voluntary basis, with no public funding and it has been successful in bringing business to Chiswick High Road. The market is the first new flower market to have opened in London for 150 years. The organisers held their first public meeting in the back of a pub in February 2020 to gauge local support and developed the idea from there. It has been supported from the outset by Hounslow Council and Hounslow Chamber of Commerce, with our H&S Director, Mel Bruneau, helping with the risk assessment report. Leader of Hounslow Council, Cllr Steve Curran, said: “This is a fantastic achievement by Chiswick Flower Market to be recognised by the National High Streets Task Force as an example of best practice. It’s a credit to everyone involved and a great example of what can be achieved by working together for the benefit of our communities.”
For more information visit
https://chiswickflowermarket.com/
The Office Time Share for flexible hybrid working
World events have forced businesses of all size to rethink their work patterns causing a major cultural shift in how we work.
Surveys reveal that employees want to return to the workplace, but given the choice they would split their time between home and office. As a result businesses everywhere are exploring a new hybrid way of working. This leaves business owners with a dilemma.
Why pay for empty office space on home-working days? UBC have responded by offering a Time-Shared office. Office timesharing is different to traditional office sharing, which involves different businesses using the same office at the same time. With office timesharing, you have exclusive use of the workspace on your designated days.
Timesharing allows businesses to have both a physical office and a flexible working policy, without wasting money on office space that sits empty for significant periods.
Whether this is suitable for your business, depends on the nature of your work. If you need offices for client meetings or collaborative exercises, then it could be a great option.
Maintaining an office presence, even part-time, can show employees that you still value team culture and collaboration. Office time gives the team a feeling of belonging that may suffer in a fully-remote scenario, whilst also giving access to the flexibility of remote working. UBC’s Timeshare offices are on monthly contracts, minimum 2 days per week. To learn more about Office Time-Share at https://www.ubcuk.com/ office-space/flexspace-and-coworking/, speak to UBC.
Contact Andrew Billson Email: brentford@ubcuk.com Tel: 0800 169 9822
