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Co-working has become an increasingly popular option for business owners in recent years.

It is a dynamic way to network with other like-minded professionals, access office amenities, and have a dedicated workspace that allows you to focus on your business goals and access to global networks.

Let’s take a closer look at the top 3 advantages that come with co-working.

1. Flexibility & Cost Savings

One of the main benefits of co-working is its flexibility. Unlike traditional office leases, which require long-term contracts, most co-working spaces are available on a day-to-day basis. This allows businesses to adjust their space needs as needed without being locked into a long-term agreement. Additionally, with co-working spaces you also save money by eliminating the need to purchase office furniture or pay for utilities.

2. Networking Opportunities

Another great benefit of co-working spaces is the networking opportunities they offer.

By working alongside other businesses and entrepreneurs, you can gain valuable insights and build relationships with those who share similar interests or goals as yours.

Additionally, using a co-working space has several productivity benefits as well.

Spaces like ours have conference rooms and event spaces that can be used as necessary for team meetings or think tank sessions.

The presence of other professionals in the same space helps to create an environment conducive to collaboration and focus on tasks at hand.

This means that businesses can get more done without distractions or having to worry about making too much noise in their own office space!

3. Amenities Included

When renting out office space, there are usually additional costs associated with setting up the necessary equipment such as desks, chairs, internet access etc., but with co-working spaces these amenities are already included in your membership fee so there’s no need to worry about extra costs or having to set up everything yourself.

Co-working offers flexibility without long-term leases or expensive equipment setups, making it ideal for businesses. Having access to affordable workspace is becoming more important than ever before for small businesses and entrepreneurs alike. If you’re looking for an affordable workspace solution that offers all these benefits, then consider giving co-working a try!

Want to know more about The Base?

The Base a central warrington hub, hosts leading tech and engineering firms in a Grade-A office space co-working space.

Contact us for more information.

Or follow us on LinkedIn, facebook & Twitter to stay up to date with all our latest news.

More likely to be patent-holders, exporters, and recruiters than national average

Companies at one of Warrington’s premier SME hubs export more, hold more patents and recruit more trainees and apprentices than the national average. 

And 94% of the businesses at The Base on Dallam Lane say they intend to recruit more staff this coming year, despite the economic headwinds.

These are just some of the findings of a survey undertaken by property company Langtree, which manages the building on behalf of owners Warrington & Co.

The Annual Occupier Survey

After a two-year suspension due to the pandemic, the annual tenant survey reveals ambitious Base occupiers outperform regional averages.

Moreover, says Jayne Furnival, group property director at Langtree, they co-operate and collaborate with each other ‘to a high degree.’

“We’ve put a huge amount of effort into business support for occupiers, and into curating a culture of collaboration and our findings bear out its impact,” she said.

The study showed that 44% of occupiers have other tenants as customers, whilst 11% utilise neighbours as suppliers.  A further 22% collaborate on projects together.

“This level of collaboration holds the key to how Warrington can cement long-term growth,” says Eleanor Blackburn, head of inclusive growth and partnerships at Warrington Council.

“What’s particularly encouraging is the extent of the innovation amongst our clients, whether singularly or via collaboration. 11% have registered patents or some other form of proprietary intellectual property,” Eleanor added.

Firms a Warrington Enterprise Hub

Per the latest CBI data, Warrington Enterprise Hub firms at The Base are 10% more likely to have registered IP than the UK SME average.

The survey revealed Base tenants are 10% more likely to export technology and services overseas compared to the average.

Other data uncovered by the survey found:

• 44% of companies have increased their number of employees in the past 12 months
• 94% say they are looking to recruit in the next 12 months
• 100% of businesses have employees that live in Warrington
• 22% of businesses employ apprentices or trainees

“The purpose of Warrington Enterprise Hub, The Base and the various aspects of support we provide is to provide an environment where SMEs can thrive.  These growth figures – and in particular, the emphasis on recruiting and developing our young people – says that Warrington is in good hands,” said Eleanor Blackburn.

“We are not complacent, however, as the survey found that our clients still have challenges and it’s reasonable to assume that these are commonplace across the town.  We continue to evolve the service offer at The Base and more widely to help support our private sector.”

Key issues constraining businesses were identified as recruitment (highlighted by 38% of occupiers) and cashflow (22%.

Positive news: 50% of tenants reported sales growth in the twelve months to October 2022, with none reporting a decline.

There are 28 companies registered at The Base, employing more than 250 staff.

*Source: CBI  

Want to know more about The Base?

The Base: A Grade-A office and co-working space in Warrington, home to leading digital technology and engineering companies.
As a Base member, access free business support: marketing, tax, legal advice, and assistance with innovation, research, and development.

Contact us for more information.

In a world where seemingly, anyone can call themselves – or be labelled by others as – an influencer, one of the best ways to position yourself is as an authority in your industry.

What this means is that other people see you as a go-to expert in your field and will listen to you above almost all others.

Think Martin Lewis on personal finance? or Mary Berry on all thing’s cookery-based? These are 2 of the most-well known industry authority figures around today.

You can get to be an authority without being as famous as that, of course, and here are 5 steps you can take to help you do it.

1. LinkedIn is your friend

Just about every industry authority figure is active on LinkedIn. They don’t just like and share posts though. They use it as it’s meant to be used by writing articles, posting videos, and getting involved in lots of meaningful conversations. This helps build followers and connections. And you can follow this approach. Don’t just post dull, corporate-style content, however. Make it interesting by bringing your personality into it to make yourself stand out from others. Keep it professional though, so you don’t offend anyone.

2. Be a guest contributor

This is a great way to raise your profile. This could be in print, online, on the radio, or even on TV. Pitch editors a unique angle, offering intriguing and useful content that resonates with their audience. Start with local radio shows and business magazines and see where it takes you. Podcasts are also becoming more and more popular with business owners, so nabbing a guest spot on an one might prove to be a shrewd move.

3. Those who can, teach

One thing business owners love is learning new skills. So, why not be the one who teaches them? Online courses and workshops are relatively easy to host and can build your profile quickly. You don’t have to do all the work yourself either – arrange for guest speakers in a related industry to speak too or build a networking session in. Try doing your first few for free and then start charging people a fee once they become more established.

4. Bring others in

Truly great authority figures know the value of other leaders. They’re not afraid to mention or collaborate with them. Many will build other leaders up and talk about how amazing they are at what they do. It’s about helping each other become better. This is something you can do on LinkedIn by sharing relevant content by others or putting a list together for others to follow. They’ll more than likely do the same for you, which will help you grow your network and influence. 

5. Avoid the quick buck

Sometimes it’s easy to get carried away and chase the next big thing in the hope of making a fast fortune. Doing this can sometimes lead to getting caught up with scams, which can ruin your reputation if you’re seen as dishonest or untrustworthy. You might even be labelled a fraud. Building your profile isn’t something you can do quickly. It needs time and effort to do it properly, and it’s not worth risking what you’re developing for something that’s later proved to be a gimmick.

Want to know more about The Base?

The Base is a Grade-A office and co-working space in the centre of Warrington that’s home to many market leading digital technology and advanced engineering companies.

Whilst calling The Base your home, you will have access to free business support, including marketing, tax, legal advice, as well as help with innovation, research and development.

Contact us for more information.

Leading technology and engineering hub The Base on Dallam Lane has announced a long-term partnership with two of Warrington’s most important charities.

The Grade A office building is seeking to mobilise its networks and tenants to help raise money and awareness for Warrington Youth Zone and Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals. Fundraising events, publicity and mentoring and support for charity staff are all part of the deal.

“These are two of Warrington’s most vital charities, each delivering critical support and care to people in need of both,” explained Jayne Furnival, property director of Langtree, which manages The Base on behalf of owner Warrington & Co.

Elevate Network

“Our Elevate network includes more than 400 of the local town’s and further afield most committed and active businesses and helping both charities plug into them for help, advice and financial support will make a real difference over the long term,” she added.

Among the early items on the agenda for businesses at the Base will be the opportunity to support the charities with volunteering days and mentoring sessions.  Other opportunities include themed fundraising events and bespoke activities around Christmas, says Jayne.

A Two Way Street

She says, the deal will be two-way, with the charities providing advice to businesses here on how to maximise their out-reach work.

Professional charities such as these can teach us a lot about how our companies can improve our social engagement and both will be hosting workshops to that effect.

“We are thrilled to be chosen as one of the charity partners for The BASE and are so grateful for their support which will ensure that young people in the town can access somewhere safe and positive to go, have someone to talk to, and learn new skills and make new friends.

It is also a great opportunity to work alongside the Warrington and Halton Hospitals Charity and we look forward to working in this exciting partnership” Paul Griffiths – Grants and Partnerships Manager.

Helen Higginson, Head of Fundraising at WHH Charity welcomed the valuable opportunity offered by The Base.

“We are hugely grateful to The Base and its businesses for choosing WHH Charity. The opportunity to work closely with all the companies at The Base – alongside the amazing Warrington Youth Zone – will help us build new ways to support and engage to help make a difference for both our patients and our staff.

The charities were chosen following a request for nominations amongst the Grade A building’s business base.  27 high-growth companies now call The Base home, covering a wide range of sectors, and employing more than 250 staff.

Want to know more about The Base?

The Base is a Grade-A office and co-working space in the centre of Warrington that’s home to many market leading digital technology and advanced engineering companies.

Whilst calling The Base your home, you will have access to free business support, including marketing, tax, legal advice, and help with innovation, research, and development.

Contact us for more information.

Or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram & Twitter to stay up to date with all our latest news.

If you check out the dictionary definition of the word cluster, one of the results is: (noun) – a number of things of the same kind, growing or held together. Apply this to business and you can probably guess some of the advantages. For example, having like-minded businesses or ones that complement each other in close proximity makes perfect sense. Collaboration becomes easier, which in turn means developing new products or services is quicker too, but what other things can you take away from being in a business cluster?

It’s a tried and trusted tradition
The cluster concept is nothing new in business, of course. Obvious examples include Silicon Valley and Hollywood, while in the UK we’ve got East London Tech City and our own Base Tech Hub in Warrington, home to leading digital tech and advanced engineering companies, as well many other instances both past and present.

Better networking
Another advantage to being part of a cluster is having a proper network around you. This can provide you with industry insight, sort out your supply chain and form partnerships with people you know. It can sometimes take years to establish a network, so having everyone you need on your doorstep is definitely a big benefit.

Rapid growth
Remember the definition of the word cluster mentioned earlier? It talks about growing, which is something you can do faster if you’re in a cluster. How? By things like winning business from, and with, your cluster buddies, and working with them on projects and products, particularly if the other business is bigger and more established than you.

Local talent
Recruitment can be a whole lot easier if you can take your pick of the local talent. If you’re part of a cluster where people know there are lots of attractive, innovative businesses to work for, they’re going to want to be a part of it. Often, businesses clustered together will mean a great infrastructure for employees too, such as improved transport links, a pleasant location to work in, and shops and restaurants nearby.

Competitive advantage
This fits in with the previous point. People will move to where the jobs they’re interested in are, which means companies can compete for their attention. This is what happened in Silicon Valley as programmers and engineers flocked to California to get the best roles with the best salaries and benefits in the start-ups and big players located there.

Improved visibility and reputation
Being part of a cluster with a great reputation can really help your business, as it can be associated with quality. Most film production companies in America, for example, want to be set up in Hollywood, as films made there are seen as the best in the world, and its influence on the industry is still enormously powerful. Just having a presence in your industry’s ‘Hollywood’ can instantly boost your company’s visibility and reputation.

What about the influence of the online world?
While it’s true the internet has meant it’s possible to instantly talk to anyone anywhere in the world, so location shouldn’t matter, it’s clear business clusters and being near to organisations like your own is still a real advantage.

Want to know more about The Base?
The Base is a grade A office and co-working space in the centre of Warrington and home to many market leading digital tech and advanced engineering companies. If you would like to join us and be a part of our business cluster, contact us today.

The Base remains open and operational.

Our primary focus is always the health, safety and well-being of our employees and tenants. We are working hard to offer support and assistance to both tenants and business partners during this challenging time.

We have introduced a new set of protocols for tenants who wish to return to the workplace following the prime minister’s announcement on May 10th and his subsequent publication of guidance called ‘Working safely during coronavirus’.

A detailed set of site operating procedures have been finalised following a review of this latest government guidance, which we have shared with our tenants. These procedures will be under constant review and will change, if needed, as further guidance is issued by the government.

We have invested in a wide range of site-appropriate initiatives, from floor markings to help with social distancing measures in communal spaces, to wall-mounted hand sanitiser units and strict one-way policies on staircases.

We’re encouraging tenants to follow best practice and continue to exploit technology to minimise unnecessary contact.  If meetings can continue to be conducted via technology, for example, that will minimise risk for our building staff as well as our tenants.  As the rules evolve, so will our approach.

To limit the impact of COVID-19 on our business and to ensure the day-to-day running remains effective, our colleagues, where possible, are working from home with full access to our database and communications network.

Our building manager is on site each morning and is in continual conversations with our tenants and business partners, sharing updates and information relating to COVID-19, whilst our concierge remains present on site throughout the day.

As expected, we have had to reduce services in some places and focus on the basics of keeping our buildings, employees and tenants safe and secure.

All community events have been suspended until further notice. We are reviewing the situation regularly but are taking direction from the government and Public Health England and following all the necessary steps to keep us and our community safe. We will continue to follow guidance and will reinstate events when it is OK to do so.

While businesses continue to be affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, we will share company news as well as any financial support available from the government and other sources. Please find the latest updates and position on UK government support below:

 

• Government guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19

• Coronavirus Job retention scheme – https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme/

• Coronavirus business interruptions loan scheme (CBILS) – https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-interruption-loan-scheme/

• Small Business Grant Funding – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-business-support-grant-funding-guidance-for-businesses

• Support for businesses paying tax – https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/support-for-businesses-paying-tax/

• VAT deferral – https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/vat-deferral/

• Deferral of self-assessment payment – https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/deferral-of-self-assessment-payment/

• R&D tax credits – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/corporation-tax-research-and-development-rd-relief

• Future fund –  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/future-fund

• The Business Exchange by Warrington & Co – https://www.wbex.co.uk/news

We live in an age of rapidly changing technology. Ten years ago the idea of driverless cars would have been science fiction and far-fetched SF at that. Now prototypes are on the roads, and you can ride in them if you like. The pace of technology adoption has been measured: it took around 20 years for refrigerators to be in over 80% of US homes, but only ten for microwave ovens to reach that point in the 1980s, and about five for smartphones get that market sector dominance recently.

So it won’t take long for Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) devices to be a mass phenomenon, rather than confined to a few geeky “early adopters”.

What is the Difference?

Virtual Reality is a constructed artificial world, for example, the surface of another planet, or the bottom of the sea.

Augmented Reality is where computer constructed 3D images are overlaid over the real world, such as the game where you “see” Pokemon characters as you walk around the street.

Mixed Reality is a stage further than that, where you can interact with both the real world and the artificially created one. Microsoft’s Mixed Reality app allows you to place virtual “post-it” type notes to remind you of things in your reality.

What is to Come in 2019?

Simulation Training

Many areas of work are in difficult or dangerous conditions. Obviously, pilots have been trained in simulators for years, but now, with AR people can work in mining, oil prospecting, undersea, and in other hazardous environments, including the military, without having to risk their lives, by training in a virtual simulation.

Medical Training

It has always been difficult to train medical personnel in critical procedures in surgery. It is unethical to experiment on a real person, and yet books and classroom training are insufficient. A collaboration between Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles and surgical streaming media platform GIBLIB has created a virtual operating theatre where surgeons can learn and refine their skills in advanced techniques like robot-assisted surgery and keyhole operations.

Service Industries

UPS is using VR headsets to simulate driving a truck around and making deliveries. Because this sector is prone to a high turnover of employees, and they need to be safely trained before being sent out to customers, the VR ensures that each trainee is given a consistent standard of training and instruction in how to deal with hazards like parked cars and pedestrians.

AR Home Furniture Assistance

We have all bought a product which looked fine in the showroom but didn’t fit in when we brought it home. IKEA has launched an app which sets a piece of furniture into your room: the IKEA Place app. Using your iPhone camera you can put a correctly-scaled chair, for example, into your office. It uses Apple’s ARKit augmented reality platform to place photorealistic furniture items in the frame at the touch of the screen, correctly-sized down to the millimetre. Users can walk right up and peer at fabrics and colours.

Improving Manufacturing

VR, AR and MR technologies are going to improve product quality, for example, a worker might be machining a part.  Using MR goggles he or she could have an overlay of what the finished product should look like, and by being connected with lathe control software could give a visual or audible warning if mistakes were being made thereby improving efficiency.

Overall Trends

According to a report published last year by Zion Market Research, global augmented reality market was valued at around £2.5 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach approximately £102 billion in 2021, growing at a rate of about 85% per year between 2016 and 2021.

The introduction of AR products in a wide variety of different situations, from retail like the IKEA app to industrial production and highly specialised training such as surgeons and deep-sea exploration, will embed virtuality into many different strata of our society. Perhaps in future, you won’t go to the theatre, but put on some goggles at home, and be able to walk around an immersive performance by the great actors of the Royal Shakespeare Company?

Want to know more about The Base?

The Base is a Grade-A office and co-working space in the centre of Warrington that’s home to many market leading digital technology and advanced engineering companies. Whilst calling The Base your home, you will have access to free business support, including marketing, tax, legal advice, as well as help with innovation, research and development.

Contact us for more information.