Whether you’re a one-man band or a giant corporate, you need somewhere to work.

There are plenty of different types of offices out there so choosing one for your business can be difficult. It is important to think about what the office needs to be for you. Is it an address? Is it to help you attract (and retain) staff? Or is it somewhere for your team to interact? Depending what you hope to get from your office will depend on which one is best for you. So we’re written a list of a few things to consider.

Set-up

The facilities can vary from space to space, some will offer you all-inclusive packages, so you can plug in a play on day one, whereas other will offer you lower rates but you have to sort your own utilities and suppliers. Some businesses don’t have the time or resources to make sure they’re getting the best energy details and deal maintenance contracts, in which case offices which take this stress away are often an attractive solution.

Length of commitment

“Dream big” that’s what they always say. If you have a growing team, or your headcount fluctuates across the year, do you really want to commit for 3+ years to one space? Flexible spaces will offer you the luxury of easy in easy out contracts. This works well for businesses who might take on a new project in a different city and need a temporary office to get it up and running.

Growth

In a similar way, if your business is expected to grow rapidly, you need to be able to future proof your office space without over committing. If you’re not in a position to pay for space you might need in the future, then look at somewhere which will allow you to grow your headcount at your own rate such as a shared office or co-working space.

The Look

Looks aren’t everything, but they do count when it comes to office space. Employees spend an average of 3,515 full days at work over the course of their lifespan so it important to find an office space where they can thrive personally and professionally. Access to quality furniture, natural daylight, greenery and a nice design will help improve mood and productivity within your team. A nice office space will also help keep your team engaged while also attracting new talent as it shows them that you care about your team’s well-being.

Budget

Without beating around the bush, budget is definitely something you need to consider. But remember that the headline price is not always reflective of the true cost of occupying an office space. Before setting up The Racquets Court, we spoke to many different building owners who all flagged that one of the biggest costs is cleaning (you can read more about this here). It is important to consider your ‘must haves’ and ‘would likes’ when finding your ideal office space. Do you really need a customised ping pong table? Identify what is important to your business objectives and the well-being of your team and start there. You can always add the ‘would likes’ later.

Private or Shared

Here’s where I would like to dispel a myth: you can work with sensitive information and be in a shared office. In fact, we’ve got data companies working out of The Racquets Court. Providing you don’t leave sensitive documents out on your desk or confidential emails open on your screen while you go for lunch, you can work in a shared space. Most shared offices have meeting rooms, break out areas or other places you can go with your colleagues for a chat if you don’t want to be overheard.
In a private space, you often have more authority to change the decor or layout, but you may also have to budget for kitting out the place as well. Shared offices often come furnished (often to a high standard with quality products are they are built to last), so you can have fewer overheads when first moving in.

Location

The right location can make a huge difference, not only to your team, but also to your clients. Will you have clients visiting the office on a regular basis? In which case you may need to think about how they will get there (i.e. will they be able to walk? Drive? Public transport?). We know that the average UK worker will spend 400 days of their life commuting, so in the interest of maintaining a healthy work-life balance, it’s worth considering location when selecting your next office.

To find out more about workspaces at The Racquets Court, get in touch with our team today

Hiring employees should be quite straight forward. Right?

All you need to do is write a job description, post it online and start interviewing. While this sounds quite simple, attracting and retaining the right people is hard. In an ideal world, you’ll find someone quickly who is:

• Qualified
• Experienced
• A good fit with your team

But this is challenging. Flexible working is one of the things being used by businesses to draw in the best people.

In the UK 84% of businesses are using flexible workplace policies to attract and retain top talents. The global average is 77%. According to the IWG Global Workplace Report, businesses believe flexible working plays a critical role in widening the talent pool. And workers confirm that having a choice of work environment plays a key role in evaluating work opportunities (70%).

Organisations of all sizes take advantage of remote working and no longer need to be restricted by location. Businesses don’t have to wave goodbye when a talented employee needs to relocate for personal reasons or turn down an applicant because she lives somewhere else.

Having said that, remote working can con with some challenges.

I’m worried that remote working will impact on our company culture

Will the business end up with a team of people who just don’t know each other? Should the business be worried that remote workers won’t work as hard? A lot of this comes down to how the team is managed. It is important regularly to bring remote workers into the main office. Scheduling recurring skype meetings ensure remote workers aren’t strangers to everyone else. If there are concerns about home distractions impacting on work output, then working in a co-working space ensures an ‘office environment’.

Using technology to enable remote working.

Remote working can be more expensive initially. The business will need to supply a company computer/laptop and possibly a phone. There is the need to ensure a good, robust and reliable internet connection. It may also be necessary to set up VPN connectivity or access to individually used bandwidth.

Ensuring security for remote working

Depending on the work, security may be a concern.  Do employees need access to secure printing and sensitive documents? This is harder to manage when working outside the office. 45% of workers report business concerns about data security and 19% are concerned about a lack of remote cybersecurity systems.

Informal remote working for example from a coffee shop may give rise to issues to do with physical possessions (what do you do with a laptop when the loo calls?)

Are remote workers motivated and productive?

Let’s face it, working from home can be distracting. Whether it’s the housework, family or door-to-door sales calls, you can be surrounded by distractions. But businesses have deadlines which must be managed and performances and behaviours which are appraised. There is little evidence to suggest that remote workers perform less well than others. Well managed people are productive whether they’re working 20 meters away or 20 kilometres away.

A high turn over of staff will cost businesses time and money. Allowing employees to work remotely where appropriate will help a business stand out from the crowd and show their team that they are trusted.  So while the initial setup may take some getting used to, we believe that remote working can be beneficial to businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Get in touch to find out how The Racquets Court can support companies or individuals interested in remote working.

I’ll be honest, several years ago I didn’t know what co-working, hot desking or virtual offices were. It turns out I wasn’t alone. Since we opened, we still receive plenty of enquiries asking to understand these services and who they are for.
Co-working, hot desking and virtual offices are all aspects which can make up a workspace like The Racquets Court. They are used by businesses of any size from sole-traders to global corporations.

Co-Working

According to Lexico “[co-working] is the use of an office or other work environments by people who are self-employed or working for different employers, typically so as to share equipment, ideas, and knowledge.”

Co-working spaces are thought to have stemmed from 90s Hackerspaces. They were created for the ‘creatives’ but nowadays, they are a sought-after solution for companies of all sizes. Imagine being able to hire the talent you want but without having to relocate your HQ across the country? Larger companies are making full use of this great opportunity by hiring a few desks in the towns and cities across the UK so they can set up new offices, hire local talent to work remotely or to set up project teams closer to their clients.

The self-employed, freelancers and micro-companies also benefit from co-working spaces. They can have all the benefits of an office without the worry of isolation and huge overheads.

There are many perks to a co-working space but one of our favourites is the fantastic networking opportunities available. You never know who might move in on the desk across the way or who might be in the kitchen. They are typically 24/7 too so you’re not confined by the standard 9-5.

Co-working spaces generally require a commitment in the form of a monthly fee. For that you’ll get a dedicated desk, you can store your equipment and all your bills (should be) included.

Hot Desking

Hot desking is the practice of working as and when you need. Workspaces which offer hot desking usually mean you can hire a desk on the days when you need one. This is a great short-term solution for:

• People who work from home and want to get out of the home office for a day or two
• People who travel for work and need a base to work in-between appointments
• Small task forces who need to solve a specific problem away from the usual office
• Teams who work remotely and like to have somewhere to meet

Hot desking is a great solution to the coffee shop take-over as it provides workers with dedicated, purpose-built workspaces (read this great blog here by Hubble “There are so many better places to work than a coffee shop”).

One of the joys of hot desking is the freedom to come and go. You can try out lots of spaces with next to no commitment before you find one that works. Once in your perfect space, you can usually upgrade to a co-working membership and make it your new home from home (or office from office…).

I used coffee shops as ‘day offices’ in between meetings while we were developing TRC. While it was great to be surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the city centre, I ended up frustrated with the Wifi, spending way too much on coffee and left generally feeling I’d been unproductive…and it was weird asking strangers to watch my stuff while I nipped to the loo!

Virtual Offices

Virtual offices are another solution offered by workspaces but for people who maybe don’t have the want or need for a physical space. These are often used by those who want to be associated with a specific place or building.

A city centre virtual office, for example, gives your business a city centre presence. This is great if you wish to have a presence in a new city, or perhaps you just don’t want your business address to be your home address.

Often you can get different packages which include various business services such as mail handling, phone answering and message taking services and meeting rooms to name a few.

Virtual offices are used by many different businesses such as:

• an established business who want a presence in a different city
• a sole-trader who doesn’t want their mobile to be their business number
• a freelancer who is happy to work from wherever but wants a stable business presence for their clients.

If you are looking at virtual offices, look for one which also allows you the option to hot desk or book meeting rooms so you can impress your clients and suppliers.

In Conclusion

Think of workspaces like hotels. There are many different types, from huge budget ones to small, luxurious boutique ones. It’s easy to see them all as offering the same basic thing (ie a bed for the night) yet not understand why they all charge different prices. Don’t overlook the value and quality of what you get. Make sure you do your research and find one which reflects your business, the work you do and will help you attract clients.

There are many different reasons why a company or an individual may want to use a workspace. Whether they want to test out working in a new area, have recently relocated, or hiring talent from further afield, The Racquets Court is here to help. Get in touch with our Community Manager to discuss what solution works best for you.

What a way to spend a Tuesday evening!

With canapes circling, drinks flowing, and enticing cupcakes, Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council, officially opened The Racquets Court.

The exclusive launch event, held on 14th May 2019, included well-known representatives from leading tech businesses, Newcastle City Council, NE1, Newcastle and Northumbria Universities.

Nick said:
“Newcastle was home of the first industrial revolution and we need to be a part of the next industrial revolution too, and what The Racquets Court is hoping to achieve is to consolidate our position as a global leader in digital technology and understanding big data. What you’re achieving here is, I hope, a part of a bigger narrative for the rebirth and regeneration of Newcastle as a major global city.  The transformation of this building symbolises the rebirth and regeneration of Newcastle.” 

The Racquets Court is the first building to be connected to the Stellium 40km metro fibre network which delivers latency to New York of 65 milliseconds; the network supports near real-time access to rapidly changing data (you can read more about our connectivity here). This phenomenal technology is helping the city become one of the best connected cities in the UK and really helping to put Newcastle on the map.

Paul Miller, co-founder of Gavurin, talked to guests about the journey the building had been on and how the vision for The Racquets Court was realised with the help of some of Newcastle’s finest’s businesses. Tolent, IDP Architects and Elliotts Quantity Surveyors played key roles in the restoration of the building (read more about this here).

Their teamwork has earned a place on the shortlist for the Constructing Excellence North East Awards for the award for Integration & Collaborative.

Paul said:
I’ve learned that Newcastle has some great businesses creating wonderful things. The City’s connectivity offers opportunities to take that creativity everywhere – fast.

The event provided a platform for The Racquets Court to showcase how far the building had come in a short space of time.

In its original form, the building had only one floor, was open and as dull as an empty sports hall often is! The transformation has included the restoration of the beautiful glass roof and eye-catching victorian spiral staircase. Another floor has been added to create more space, but it has been left open to retain the buildings unique character.

The Racquets Court was also shortlisted for the 2019 RICS awards which took place in April, and is also shortlisted for a second CENE award for Preservation & Rejuvenation. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 14th June 2019.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to all our guests for helping celebrate with us, and we’re excited to welcome all members to The Racquets Court.

The co-working hybrid is a mix of the modern and the traditional. We’ve picked the best aspects of each to create our product

Traditionally favoured by independent workers and start-ups, co-working has steadily grown over the years and is now considered a ‘must’ by many large companies and remote workers. It’s even a great way to create a new base for your company in various locations with fewer overheads while allowing you to recruit from a wider pool of candidates.

The first official co-working space opened around 2005, however, this office movement is thought to have stemmed from 90s Hackerspaces. These spaces were originally created as a solution for lone workers, allowing them somewhere outside of their home to work and socialize. Historically, co-working spaces were different from serviced offices as they were created by and for the ‘creatives’ rather than the ‘suits’. In recent years, these two types of the workplace have begun to blend making way for a new collection of spaces with different focuses.

Take us for example, while we have taken some elements of a serviced office, we have also taken inspiration from the co-working movement. This is partly to do with the physical aspects of the building. As a former sports court, there was a huge open space and high ceilings allowing us to add an upper floor. Rather than creating traditional, boxed in offices, we wanted to look to the new way of working and the ‘co-working values’ of collaboration, openness, community, accessibility, and sustainability.

Open-plan spaces are social. They are designed to encourage communication and promote a sense of teamwork due to the diversity of its members. It becomes a place where like-minded businesses can inspire one another, network and potentially find collaborative work partners. Finding yourself sharing a space with an array of people from different backgrounds, with different interests, different businesses and different goals give you unique opportunities that would have otherwise pass you by in a more typical office building.

“[Co-working] is a place and a style of working that combines independence and co-dependence. One that allows you to be a soloist, but still plays in the orchestra. To be social when you need to and to hold you accountable for delivering the things you say as important” (Dunstan, M (2015) The Co-working Revolution: Four Secrets to Successfully Working for Yourself)

While bean bags and pool tables may be suitable for the more quirky co-working space, we have followed a more traditional aesthetic but with our own twist. We chose a calming blue colour scheme as this is said to improve efficiency and performance, and rather than removing the original glass ceiling, we restored it and added several other large windows around the space. Natural daylight has been proven to enhance productivity, health and mood. We knew also that for the work our current and future members do, our priority had to be to get the essentials right (such as connectivity, comfort, location and a focussed environment to name a few) and offer a high quality, well thought out product.

North East data analysis consultancy, Gavurin Limited has purchased and developed its first headquarters on the site of a formerly derelict property called The Racquets Court in Newcastle city centre.

The Racquets Court

Supported by a six-figure development loan from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, the project has seen ‘The Racquets Court’ building renovated into a state-of-the-art workspace for the business. Although the building served as a venue for the playing of Racquets for many years, it had been sitting empty for over 10 years prior to the redevelopment.

Incorporating the original features of the premises, including a Victorian staircase and glass feature ceiling, the business has created an innovative 5,000 sq ft space over two floors.

Following a period of sustained growth, the management team felt the time was right to move to be part of the growing digital, software and technology scene in the centre of Newcastle to maximise new business opportunities.

Gavurin develops and builds its own software to visualise and analyse data that allow its clients to make strategic management decisions. The business’ international client portfolio covers a diverse range of sectors. This includes Dun & Bradstreet, the commercial data and insights provider, and not-for-profit organisation Hospice UK.

With big ambitions for the region’s technology sector, Gavurin plans to use 50 per cent of its new office as a collaborative working space and a wider networking hub for the North East technology community. Members will have access to desk space, meeting rooms or can use the building as a virtual office.

Connectivity

The Racquets Court is one of the only buildings in Newcastle to already be connected to the new Metropolitan Area Network, a new super-fast gigabyte internet line. The advanced fibre optic cable will enable the business to move large volumes of data across wide areas nationally and internationally at high speed; a key strength for competing in the digital economy.

Gavurin’s managing director, Jonathan Graham, said:

“Connectivity is a major consideration for technology businesses when looking to re-locate. We believe the new advanced fibre infrastructure, only metres from our new headquarters, gives us a real competitive advantage.  It also has the potential to be transformational for the whole of the North East. Thanks to the support of Lloyds Bank, we now have an innovative, creative and technologically advanced working environment. This will help us realise our growth ambitions for the business.”

John Turnbull, Relationship Director, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said:

“Having started from relatively humble beginnings, Gavurin has grown to the point where it can now boast an international client book.

 

“Newcastle has always been the business’ main base and now it is looking to work with more companies closer to home. The team has set itself some ambitious targets and this move to The Racquets Court, a key milestone for the business, will play a significant part in helping it achieve these goals.

 

“We have made clear commitments to support SME and Mid-Market businesses with a £6bn increase in net lending over the next three years. As Newcastle looks to grow its reputation as a centre for digital, software and technological innovation, we’re pleased to be supporting businesses like Gavurin that will help realise this ambition and more widely will help Britain prosper.”

November 2018