Latest News | 15 October 2020
Services sharing space
Bondholder Essential Print Services has converted its Pride Park offices into a co-working space, creating a new base for three other companies.
Yvonne Gorman, owner of Essential Print Services, advertised the change via the Derby Small Businesses Unite Facebook group that she runs which has over 1,000 members. She had instant responses from limited companies looking to relocate and sole traders wanting a break from working from home.
She commented: “With my commercial lease renewal looming and sales not yet recovered from the effect of COVID-19, I ran the risk of losing my office space. After talking with fellow small business owners, it became apparent that many were in a similar position, or that working from home was no longer working for them. So, with the support of my landlord, I made the decision to change my office into a COVID-secure environment where small businesses can not only have their own space on a monthly basis, but also network and support one another as they restart and grow.”
Essential Print’s offices are now also home to fellow Bondholder Kedleston Safety, along with Enable Property Solutions, and BBP Recruitment. This comes as the demand for shared workspaces is rocketing around the country, with many companies realising that vast office space is no longer required but still recognising a need for some form of base. Co-working spaces offer a sense of normality and stability, without the tie of a traditional lease, while also avoiding any issues of loneliness and isolation that can be experienced from long term working from home. With 80% of people saying that working from home has negatively impacted their mental health, this is more poignant than ever.
Suzanne Dixon from Kedleston Safety said she jumped at the chance to join the co-working space when she decided not to renew her existing lease: “For me working away from home means fewer distractions which gives me more business focus, therefore making me more productive. There are good networking opportunities in a shared office as well as having others to bounce ideas off.”
