Coworking is a well-established option for businesses in London, and in recent years demand has been rising in the UK's regional cities. Flexible pricing, ease of access and a collaborative ethos are all highly sought by entrepreneurial businesses looking to grow.
The coworking model is especially attractive to start-ups, freelance professionals and small firms looking for an ultra-flexible working arrangement that can be adjusted to meet their workflow needs.
One such business that has taken advantage of this new model of working is security recruitment tech startup Broadstone, based in Bruntwood's Neo building in Manchester. They were recently the first company in the city to receive an investment package from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund. This funding totalled £200,000 - testament to the strong business-model developed by the fledgling company.
Director and founder Tom Pickersgill says he was attracted to Bruntwood and Neo because of the option of fast scalability. In 12 months Tom realised it was possible to double or triple his team so he needed a partner like Bruntwood that was adaptable enough to accommodate this expansion and enable the business to move into its own offices in the same building.
Bruntwood offered Tom a flexible environment that complemented Broadstone's business culture: the chance to co-locate with other innovative startups initially, before facilitating a seamless transition to a larger, bespoke space as the company grew.
It is witnessing successes like these that has led us to take the decision to expand our coworking offer and roll out additional hot-desk and dedicated desk options at seven of our buildings across the North and the Midlands.
Unlike other coworking models, we offer our customers access to multiple buildings across Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Birmingham. Local knowledge and an independent mindset means we know our regional cities and what drives the business communities that thrive in them.
By allowing customers to work seamlessly across four of the UK's most important and dynamic regional cities we believe we are offering a unique service to our customers.
The idea of providing a service, as opposed to just physical space, is seen as disruptive. But a customer-focused approach has underpinned everything we do at Bruntwood, for more than four decades. Over that period we have constantly worked hard to evolve and innovate in order to meet those ever changing needs of businesses.
We now provide a home to more than 3,000 businesses across 117 buildings, but this will only grow as we bring hot-desk coworking facilities in our customer lounges at Neo, 111 Piccadilly, Lowry House and Trafford House in Manchester, The Plaza in Liverpool, Cornwall Buildings in Birmingham and at Platform – our new flagship location in Leeds.
Dedicated desk coworking – giving users their own desk in a shared workspace, with lockable storage for belongings – is now available in Manchester at Neo on Charlotte Street and at 111 Piccadilly along with Platform above Leeds train station.
Whether you are a new business, an established company needing a satellite location, or an individual who simply wants to work flexibly, the Bruntwood coworking solution can be tailored to you.