The Future of Flexible Working is bright

Right now the world and economy has been upended by COVID-19. As we look towards to 2021 here’s our predictions for the future of flexible working.

1. The death of the office is exaggerated.

Right now things are bleak for office space providers and the local businesses that rely on office workers.

However businesses still understand the importance of having an presence in cities and major towns. Offices are a base for the senior leaders in the business and a hub for employees. 

Big long term leased office blocks are a risk right now and as a result we may see firms downsizing smaller flexible Serviced Offices.

2. Working from home, doesn’t necessarily mean working from home.

 COVID has accelerated the move to working from home in a major way. Our homes are still our sanctuary and the line between work and life is becoming blurred. Mental health can be impaired by isolation. 

Employers need to be led by employees on this – working near home may be the answer. Coworking spaces or small satellite offices are a solution.

3. The rise in on-demand workspace

Video calls are convenient , but who can honestly say they enjoy frequent conferences calls? The biggest drawback with a home based workforce is Collaboration and innovation is keen.

Businesses may look to the flexible workspace sector again and many Serviced Office providers may tweak their offering to allow customers to book on demand team space by the day , week or month, for instance.

4. Boutique local workspaces will flourish

Many people enjoy a hybrid of working from home and in an office, but not many enjoy the 2 or 3 hours commute. As a result, we will see a growth in flexible workspaces in towns and small regional cities.

5. Flexible workspaces can be a force for good.

All this can lead to some good being done, including reducing emissions by reducing commutes , revitalising local economies and allowing employees more life balance.

Another major benefit is employers can widen the net when recruiting, to areas outside major cities and their sky-high rents, resulting in a reduction income equality.

What do you think? Comment below.

About the author: Steven Carr is Commercial Manager at the Kingsford Group, a provider of boutique Serviced and Coworking space in the heart of Edinburgh.

Our COVID-19 Response

Our COVID-19 Secure Plan

With the recent announcements by the Scottish Government many of our tenants are starting  return to work planning.

Whist our 3 Edinburgh Workspaces are still open and accessible to clients, we are taking the following steps to ensure the safety of our members and staff, which is our top priority.

Building Management

  • A Risk Assessment has been carried out for each location, based on HSE recommendations
  • We have placed social distancing markers/ signage throughout the locations and set up touchless handwash stations (Walker Street to be completed this week)
  • HEPA Air Purifiers and air purifying plants will be placed in key communal areas
  • We have removed any communal refreshments and are sourcing healthy alternatives
  • Temporarily Replacing hand dryers with paper towels
  • We are temporarily curtailing our hotdesking facility at Dublin Street and now only offering socially distanced fixed desks
  • Supporting tenants with their own Risk Assessments and space planning

Cleaning and Hygiene 

In addition to our standard clean upon Government recommendations/clients returning to the office we will be implementing a weekly Sanitising Electronic Spray deep clean and monthly swab tests using bioluminescence technology to ensure our cleaning standards are first rate.

A member of our office or cleaning team will also be cleaning key touchpoints throughout the day.

We are asking all members use the touchless handwash stations these upon arrival.

House Rules

Finally, we have updated our house rules to reflect the following

  • Upon Arrival Please use the Touchless Handwash Stations available at Key points
    Please adhere to the social distancing measure s and signage put in place by Kingsford Management
  • If you have a new or continuous cough, high temperature or are experiencing loss of taste or smell, please follow the government guidance on self-isolation/testing
  • Please report any cases of COVID-19 in your office to a member of the Kingsford Team as soon as possible

 

If you are looking for COVID-19 Secure Office Space in Edinburgh please email office@kingsfordgroup.com

4 Things SMEs can do right now to combat the impact of Coronavirus

These are unprecedented times for businesses and humanity itself. It’s easy to feel hopeless, particularly if you work in the retail , hospitality or tourism sectors or are a small business owner.

Rubycom Ltd , Kingsford Business Club members in our Edinburgh space,  are a business offering part time Finance Director and corporate finance services to SME’s around Scotland. Kingsford spoke with Scott Davidson the founding director who provided a useful summary of the support available.

COVID 19 Business support Scotland Coronavirus SME Grants Edinburgh

Guidance on government support available for Coronavirus As at 30th March 2020

Rubycom have produced this summary  setting out financial and other assistance that has been announced over recent days from HM Government, to assist companies deal with the Coronavirus epidemic.

For some companies operating in certain sectors, this represents a significant challenge to the business, and in some cases presents a business continuity issue. Specific details on how to access some of this support will be forthcoming over the coming days. The team at Rubycom are on hand to assist with accessing the below assistance and with other aspects of the financial planning of your business over the coming weeks.

  1. Cash Forecasting

First and foremost, Rubycom strongly recommend that if you are not already doing so, preparing a short term cash projection, by week for the coming thirteen weeks is something that all businesses should be doing, regardless of sector. Many of Rubycom’s existing clients already do this, and it certainly highlights cash issues on the horizon, quantifies any cash gap and can help identify actions to put in place to deal with such shortfalls.

Rubycom have a simple template that is used for a short term cash forecast. If you require this for your business, or assistance in preparing, reviewing or testing a short term cash forecast please do get in touch.

2. Business continuity insurance

If your business is being seriously impacted by the Coronavirus epidemic, particularly if you are facing nil or very minimal revenue over the coming months, you may be in a position to make a claim on any business continuity insurance in place.

Rubycom would recommend that you check to find out if your company or business is covered for business continuity insurance. If you have cover and your business is being seriously affected by the Coronavirus epidemic, it is recommended that you contact them soonest to discuss any potential claim.

3. Look at Available government support

The major specific assistance available is as follows :

  • Business loan interruption scheme : an application for this can be made through major banks (High Street banks) and will be capital / interest free for the first 12 months. It is understood that 80% of such loans will be unsecured. Furthermore, it is understood that such loans can be applied for from Monday 23rd March. Three months to ten year terms for loans. To apply approach your business bank team initially.
  • Job retention scheme : For those employees in furlough (ie sent home from work due to the Coronavirus outbreak, as long as they are eventually brought back to work)backdated to 1st March ’20, and can cover up to 80% of wage cost (including ernic) with cap at £2,500 per employee per month.
  • VAT deferral :The next quarterly VAT payment due by businesses is to be deferred. Payments are deferred from now until end of June and companies will have until 31st March 2021 to pay any deferred VAT.
  • Rates deferral / grant funding : see web site at https://www.mygov.scot/non-domestic-rates- coronavirus/ for more information. Businesses in different sectors can get different amounts of rates relief and possibly one off grants of 10k or 25k. It is also understood that local authorities have been told to be lenient on chasing outstanding rates and requests for extended payment plans. In the first instance, discuss with your local rates authority.
  • Support for the self employed : announced late last week. Information forthcoming.
  • HMRC : Although not official policy, over recent days Rubycom have found HMRC to be willing to look at payment plans for PAYE / NIC liabilities and to consider deferral of existing time to pay arrangements. Your cash forecast should indicate if this is something that you may require, and ifso, contact HMRC to request a payment deferral.

4.  Free Support offered by Rubycom

The team at Rubycom are happy to offer one hour of free support / consultation time for any businesses seeking support with cash flow as a result of COVID 19. See contact details below. Rubycom are a team of ICAS qualified chartered accountants, whose service is accessible.

RUBYCOM CONTACT DETAILS :

Scott Davidson MA CA Director scott@rubycomlimited.com Cell : 07794 229594

Craig McGill MA CA Director craig@rubycomlimited.com Cell : 07967 182991

www.rubycomlimited.com

‘What does it mean to grow old?’ Innovative Care Company Elder takes space with Kingsford

Kingsford Office is delighted to Welcome Eldercare (UK) to its 2 Walker Street location.

Elder is a technology-enabled care agency, and one of the fastest-growing companies in the UK. It helps provide live-in care – an alternative to the care home that allows elderly loved ones to get the full-time, specialist support they need in the place they belong, their own home.

It does this by matching self-employed live-in carers to families in need. Using proprietary logistical and matching technology, Elder can get a carer matched on individual needs and personality to any location in the UK within 48 hours.

carer Edinburgh
Photo Credit: Elder

It’s a scalable and sustainable model that is meeting demand where the traditional residential sector cannot. Every 12 days the company delivers additional capacity to the market equivalent to an average-sized care home.

Having recently been named the third-fastest growing company in the UK, Elder is in pole position to meet the social care capacity requirements of a rapidly ageing population. Doing its bit to answer one of the big questions of our time – ‘what does it mean to grow old?’

Emily Song of Elder Says “I chose to set up our Edinburgh office at Kingsford because I needed somewhere bright, spacious, and easy to find. The Walker Street office is ideally located close to the train station and tram lines, and offers an airy yet cosy space for me to meet Elder’s carers in. The staff at Kingsford have been amazing in helping us set up, taking a real interest in what we do and what we need to get us off to a really successful start”

To find out more about Elder visit www.elder.org

Top 5 tips on finding your perfect Office Space

Your start-up is growing, you find yourself running out of space in the home office. Your Director has asked you to look at opening a new branch. You’re the CEO of a small business that’s won a new contract and need to expand quickly.

These are all good problems to have, however looking at renting office space for the first time can be a daunting process especially in a city with many different office providers. Where do you start?

While there are pro’s and cons to taking serviced office vs traditntal leased space for this article we are focussing purely on serviced or ‘flexible workspace’.

So, here are our Top 5 Tips on Finding Your Perfect Office Space.

  1. Space planning

Before you start looking think about the space you need. Typically, serviced office space providers will allocate 30 square foot per person (Kingsford give 40 square foot per person). For example 4-person office will be 120 to 160 square foot. More flexible workspace providers will let you upscale if you need to grow.

If you require room for meeting table add another 25  square foot per conference chair.

  1. Price, location and Budget

Try to establish a budget but be realistic. Office space providers are a bit like hotels, you get budget providers, mid-market and high-end providers.

Location and type effects pricing too. Mid-market and higher end providers tend to be more centrally located with more luxurious touches, with dedicated Front of House Managers, whilst budget providers tend to be on the outskirts of a large town or city and offer less in the way of amenities. Offices with superior views will be more expensive that an internal office.

Coworking (Hot-desks or fixed desks in a shared environment) is growing massively in popularity and is a cost effective option for start-ups or 1 to 3 person team. Prices and packages vary widely, at Kingsford our packages start from £90 per month.

London prices for fully serviced private offices range from £500 up to a whopping £1,000 per desk , whilst secondary cities such as Manchester , Glasgow or Edinburgh would typically range from £200 to £350 per desk. Again this depends on the size, type and location of office space.

Office space to rent Edinburgh
Serviced Office space at Kingsford

When looking pricing be mindful not to compare apples with pears. Is the space fully inclusive or are things like broadband, meeting rooms and coffee extra?

  1. Do your research

Before you even book an appointment to view a space, check out the providers website, blog, LinkedIn and Instagram pages. This will give you an idea of the sense of community, services offered , engagement with customers and general brand values.

  1. Think about your team

The basics that are important to most office based workers – a smaller commute or good transport links, natural light, fast reliable broadband and kitchens/breakout space with tea/coffee facilities.

Serviced Office Kitchen
Kitchen at Kingsford Office Dublin Street

Different generations also tend to work differently – older workers may prefer traditional private office space with fixed desks whilst younger workers may be more inclined to work in an open collaborative hotdesking or coworking environment. You know your team best so will know what will work for them.

Higher end workspaces may offer an inbuilt perks package for your employees – at Kingsford we offer complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks, regular free beer and prosecco socials along with member nights out and discounts at local bars, restaurants and gyms.

  1. How flexible is the space?

You may be planning scale quickly grow or looking to start slowly. Questions to ask are what are the minimum and maximum agreement terms? Can you upgrade to a bigger space easily? Are there annual rent or licence fee increases?

I hope you found this useful. If you have any other tips , let us know in the comments below.

About the author

Steven Carr is Head of Kingsford Office a leading Edinburgh provider of high end Serviced and Coworking Space and has worked in the serviced office industry for several years for some of the leading providers in the Sector. Kingsford Office is leading Edinburgh provider of high end serviced office and Coworking. Our agreements are fully inclusive, hassle free with terms to suit you.

5 things to do in Edinburgh City Centre on your lunch hour

We’re all busy people. How many of us skip our lunch or wolf down a sandwich at our desks? I know I’m guilty of this. A recent Bupa survey revealed that nearly two thirds of people lunch for less than 20 minutes while 28% skip it entirely.

Whether you’re an employee or business owner, taking your lunch break is vital to boosting productivity and reducing stress levels. Here’s some suggestions:

Go out for lunch with colleagues or friends

When I am sitting on my own, I tend to browse my phone, checking social media and then I start checking work emails. Going for lunch gives you a chance to unwind and speak to colleagues or meet up with friends.

At our coworking space in Dublin Street our Community Manager Cara has started organising bi-monthly member lunches – some great places to get an express lunch is The Magnum on Albany Street (10% off for Kingsford Members), Dishoom in St Andrews Square or for something super quick, healthy and cheap try the Tempting Tattie.  All have excellent reviews on Tripadvisor.

Go for a Walk

Edinburgh is beautiful. I am still in awe of the historic architecture. Getting out of the office for a breath of fresh air. One amazing place to go for a walk is Dean Village which is like something out of Harry Potter. Princes Street gardens is also a must. Also, if you are a Kingsford Office member you can get access to the private Queen Street Gardens, perfect spot for clearing your mind.

Join a fitness class or a gym

Ok maybe the wrong time of the year to suggest this! Exercise is a great stress reliver. Getting fit also makes you feel more self-confident. Bannatynes in Queen Street and Nuffield Health in the Omni Centre do a range of classes from Yoga to Metafit. If you are a Kingsford customer all of our locations are equipped with showers and with our member perks program you get an amazing 20% off memberships at Pheonix Fitness on Albany Street.

Go to Jenners on Princes Street

Before Harvey Nicks there was Jenners, it has been through a turbulent time recently with the Sports Direct takeover however it’s still our version of Liberty London and well worth going for a browse even if it’s a while to payday. The building, opened in 1838, still retains much of its character.

Visit the museum

Beautiful glass atrium events space Edinburgh wedding venue
The National Museum Atrium

The National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street, with its awe-inspiring glass atrium and fascinating exhibitions is a fantastic place to get your culture on. It is also Free, but I would suggest making a donation, those giant animal skeletons are not going to polish themselves.

How a Virtual Office can strengthen your growing business

Virtual Offices are useful things. They come in different forms. Commonly a virtual office product will consist of use of a prestigious city centre business address, mail forwarding and maybe a local telephone number or even call answering.

Mailboxes at Kingsford

There are many benefits using this service for a small business, sole trader or entrepreneur. The first would be it gives your business a Professional image – an address in a prestigious city centre address without the cost of a traditional office.

Continuing on this theme, rather than displaying a mobile number on your website , which looks unprofessional, a Virtual Office can provide you with a local landline number redirected to the number of your choice.

The address and phone number can be used on marketing materials, business cards and for established companies breaking into a new market , it saves the costs of opening another market.

In addition many providers will receive mail and other packages ensuring you never miss an important delivery when you are out.

Finally some providers , like Kingsford, offer their virtual office customers additional benefits like discounted meeting room hire or access to Networking Events.

To find out more about our Virtual Office packages click here

What is this trendy Coworking malarkey anyway? And why it is the future

The Coworking Revolution 

Coworking has got massive. The global market value flexible workspaces is estimated at an approximate £21 billion.  What exactly is Coworking and why is it taking over the world?

It all started in 2005 when a computer programmer named Brad Neuberg, wanting the structure and community of an open plan office but for freelancers, rented space kickstarting the Coworking revolution

Coworking essentially is a shared workspace community for like-mind indiviauls that saves the traditional costs of leasing private office space.

It’s estimated there are over 14,000 Cowork spaces in the world, with almost 4 million users. Many are niche and tailor towards to non-profits or tech startups.  More recently there are now woman only spaces. Some spaces are as unique as their members; you’ll find spaces in castles, vans , churches and even on boats.

Likewise, coworking is more relevant as people value time and flexibility more than traditional perks such as bonuses.

Edinburgh Coworking Space
A successful coworking space in the heart of Edinburgh

Kingsford Business Club 

At Kingsford Business Club Dublin Street we cater to a discerning crowd of entrepreneurs and freelancers in the heart of Edinburghs historic Newtown. Our listed Georgian building offers members a beautiful relaxed space to work in.

Members get access to an exclusive Kingsford Card giving preferential rates and offers at local restaurants, bars and shops.

Most importantly is the human touch. We celebrate our members milestones and successes, personal and professional.

To try us for the day for free or for more information send an email to office@kingsfordgroup.com.

Four ways that Serviced Offices can help businesses save money

More and more companies continue to move into Serviced Offices and not without good reason. Businesses now have the opportunity to set up shop in pre-furnished, pre-decorated, often impressive Serviced Offices, cutting days of hassle out of their schedule and leaving them free to get on with business from the day they move in. No longer do they have to bring furniture, buy internet connections or paint walls, but just move in and get on with work in their new, often elegant and impressive, Serviced Office.

This might seem like a luxury that only a few could afford. However, FreeOfficeFinder recognised that Serviced Offices can actually save businesses money. Given that many costs are included in the monthly bill and a number of jobs are taken out of your hands, it soon becomes clear that Serviced Offices can be both stress free and cost-effective. We looked at some of the ways Serviced Offices do indeed save businesses money.

     1. Less Space Needed

As opposed to renting a leased office, you only pay for the space you really need in a Serviced Office. Facilities like toilets, kitchens, meeting rooms and break rooms are communal, managed facilities. The Serviced Office provider takes care of these, so that you only have to pay for the desk space that you use. This can provide a large saving for businesses, who would otherwise have to pay rent on all the space they use.

     2. Already Fitted Out

When renting a Serviced Office, you won’t have to worry about chairs, desks, drawers or filing cabinets. In addition, the space will be decorated and can be configured on request. When you rent a leased office, you will need to purchase furniture as the space is typically an empty shell.  Fitting an office out can also prove very expensive as build work isn’t cheap, so there is a lot of time and effort, in addition to cost, saved in the process.

       3. Outsourced Staffing Costs

Serviced Offices often already have employed staff, such as Receptionists and Admin Staff. This means that you can benefit from in house staff who can perform any adhoc task you need (on site) without the need to employ and pay wages for a dedicated person/s for the role. Sometimes, you may need to pay an extra pay-as-you-go fee for support service staff, but this is minimal compared to an actual wage.

        4. No need to go large

Any company that wants to expand takes a risk renting leased office space. They cannot be certain that their company will definitely grow into the space, nor can they be definite they won’t outgrow it. Either way, by taking a larger space to grow into, they will be paying for it (and for a long time, as you are usually bound to a 3 to 10 year contract). Renting a Serviced Office normally rids you of this worry. Rent the exact size you need initially and the provider will typically allow you to jump to larger spaces in the building as and when your companies grows.

Teaming up with ‘Balanced Edinburgh’

Balanced Edinburgh have teamed up with Kingsford Offices to provide you with access to physiotherapy, sports/remedial massage, and osteopathy. Take advantage of 20% initial assessments or book in for a free 15 minute consultation! We have a specialist team of practitioners who are able to provide a one stop shop for all your healthcare needs. We are Edinburghs leading Clinic for postural pain, persistent pain and sports injuries and can provide fast access to expert assessment and onward referral where needed to ensure that you get the fastest recovery possible.

Book now and quote ‘Kingsford Office’ for 20% off initial assessments!

There is no need to see your GP first, just call or email the clinic and we can arrange an assessment. At Balanced we believe that early diagnosis and intervention is critical to prevent chronic pain developing. We work with all major insurance companies and so can provide rapid access to physiotherapy under your healthcare plan. We also run frequent workshops and events around Edinburgh, just check out our website for details.

Services Provided:

• Specialist Physiotherapy Assessment and Treatment
• Sports and remedial massage
• Osteopathy
• Acupuncture and Dry Needling
• Acute and Chronic pain management
• Strapping for pain relief or Sports
• Nutrition
• Podiatry
• Pilates
• Onward referral where required

Balanced Clinics

While the offers for Kingsford clients will only be available at our Queen Street clinic please see a full list of locations below:

Balanced Queen Street Clinic
Royal Garden Apartments, 2 York Buildings, EH2 1HY

Balanced Stockbridge Clinic
1 St Bernards Row, Stockbridge, EH4 1HW

Balanced Westwoods
Fettes College, EH4 1RA

Balanced Heriot Watt- Oriam
Edinburgh Campus, EH14 4AS

Balanced Barnton
Greenkeepers Cottage
The Royal Burgess Golfing Society
181a Whitehouse Road, EH4 6BU

To book an appointment please email info@balancededinburgh.co.uk or call 0131 315 3105. You can visit the Balanced website at www.balancededinburgh.co.uk