Apple is to establish a new London headquarters at Battersea Power Station, one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks.

The tech giant will occupy about 500,000 sq ft of space across six floors of the central Boiler House from 2021, moving 1,400 employees there from eight offices around the capital.

It will account for 40 per cent of the development’s total office space.

Apple currently has 2,530 staff in total in London, including about 1,100 working in its stores.

The Mayor of London, said the deal is a “sign that London is open to the biggest brands in the world and the leading city for trade and investment”.

The move follows a multi-billion-pound restoration of the former power station, which has stood unoccupied for decades on the banks of the River Thames.

Apple’s main European headquarter will remain in Ireland, where it employs 4,000 people

The post Apple taking over Battersea Power Station appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

Back in 2012 the London Olympics were supported up and down the country with games events in business centre’s with beer, pizza and all the sporting action on big screens.

The Olympics kick off on Friday 5^th August. The opening ceremony for the games is set to be watched by over one billion people worldwide despite the time delays (UK time 11pm). The Paralympics start on the 7^th September and run until the 18^th September.

With Brazil four hours behind London there will be lots of opportunities to watch the action in the early and late evening. However, early schedules that have been released this week show event times in the early hours of the morning. So there could be lots of late nights for some of you. We got in touch with business centres all over the UK to find out what they had planned to cover Team GB’s progress.

A number of serviced office space providers are planning to celebrate the Olympics with their clients. BEoffices plan to launch their Food’s of the World client lunch this Friday. In addition they’re decorating the centres with Rio style carnival decorations to get everyone in the Olympic mood. Their centres will also be showing the big events on screens accompanied by snacks and drinks.

i2 Offices are also planning to celebrate the main events on their big screens with snacks and drinks. We’re still waiting to find out what a number of other providers have planned. So we will update this article throughout the week.

Keeping up with the action is easy. We’ve compiled a list of useful links that will help you keep everyone updated throughout the Olympics and Paralympics.

Useful Olympic resources to use in your business centre:

The Official Olympic Rio 2016 website HERE

The official Paralympic Rio 2016 website HERE

You can plan your viewing by checking the official Rio 2016 website HERE

Track Team GB’s progress during both the Olympics and Paralympics HERE

Olympics Social Media updates:

Twitter will keep you up to date on the latest triumphs and news – @Rio2016_en

The official Facebook page for Rio 2016 is https://www.facebook.com/rio2016/

The latest news and stories can be found on these leading sites:

The BBC Sport Rio 2016 site HERE

The Sky Sports Rio 2016 page is HERE

And finally it just leaves us to wish Team GB and all the teams of the world the very best of luck over the next several weeks of sporting achievement.

Let us know what you’ve got planned at your business centre by contacting us at: Stephen Moore Stephen@adventuresinmarketing.co.uk or via Twitter @loc8_commercial

About the Author

Stephen Moore is a writer and marketing consultant supporting businesses in the commercial property sector. Find out more about Stephen at Google+.

The post Are the Olympics coming to your Business Centre? appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

Following their transformation of a former Vauxhall car servicing building (now known as Grangewood House) to create outstanding new flexible workspace, the team are hoping this new concept that will open in Q4 2016, will be an industry leading concept outside Central London. The Cr@te development is set to inspire entrepreneurs and new business owners in an unusual workspace that benefits from great transport links.

The concept of using shipping containers first emerged around 15 years ago as far afield as Tokyo, Australia, Rhode Island and even in Docklands where the Container City project first opened in 2005, closely followed by the impressive Riverside Building Offices. Home to 24 individual offices near the Thames, they quickly filled up.

Grangewood have put together a clever scheme that uses 36 shipping containers to create 36 unique and individual workspaces. Loughton is already a highly popular business destination, helped by easy access to the M11 and two Central line stations linking Loughton with Stratford and Liverpool Street, which will have the added benefit of Crossrail from 2018.

An important benefit of the Cr@te development is the creation of a thriving business community. With attractive rates, Grangewood believe they have created an ideal solution to coax entrepreneurs out of their home offices and bedrooms and in to a workspace that allows them to network with like-minded business owners.

Furthermore with design now an important factor in the development of new workspace, the team at Grangewood have taken time to design spaces that will provide inspiration to the businesses that use them. Each Cr@te benefits from lots of light from the use of full height windows and doors. There are also some great amenities like on-site Costa Coffee, great Wi-Fi and really useful services like bike storage and showers.

Adam Walker, director at Grangewood Investments Ltd, commented, “Cr@te is rapidly becoming a destination for innovation and those priced out of Central London. Cr@te is not your usual sterile office block. We are seeking to pack in talent, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, all with a buzzing social soul”.

In addition Lee Grodent, Founder and CEO at Loc8 Commercial supported Grangewood offering advice about the local market. Commenting on the Cr@te concept Lee said, “Loc8 are delighted to be helping Grangewood fill their exciting new development. Back in 2014 we helped to identify a lack of serviced office space in Loughton and the surrounding areas and advised Grangewood to create a number of office suites to offer Start-Up’s and SME’s good quality serviced office space. Following a £2 million pound refurbishment, Grangewood House opened in June 2015 and was 100% occupied within 3 months. We advised Grangewood on a number of factors including licence agreements, office sizes and I.T. Their latest new development will create a very unique workspace which is just thirty minutes from the City”.

Finally, as the development progresses, Cr@te will be releasing updates and sharing details about the newest business community in Essex as it takes shape. Find out more here:

-Ends-

About Loc8 Commercial

Loc8 Commercial help businesses by working with worldwide, national and independent providers of serviced offices, managed offices, virtual offices and the growing number of Co-working locations to find the right flexible workspace solution for you. We’re impartial so you’re guaranteed to get the right advice to suit your budget, location requirements and business needs. Loc8 Commercial has over 20 years of experience in the global office space market.

Press Contacts

For further information about Loc8 Commercial or this press release please contact the Loc8 Commercial press team at AIM.

Stephen Moore – Telephone: 07984 077838 or 020 3053 8670 Email: Stephen@adventuresinmarketing.co.uk

The post PRESS RELEASE: Changing Workspace Design in Essex appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

There are many new serviced offices opening all the time around the UK, so it’s exciting when a new development is a little out of the ordinary. The team at Grangewood Investments Ltd are developing a new and inspiring workspace in Loughton, Essex called Cr@te. Following the successful launch of their last development in Loughton using a former Vauxhall car servicing building, they have created an outstanding new flexible place to work nearby, that pushes the boundaries of workspace design to another level.

The concept of using shipping containers first emerged around 15 years ago as far afield as Tokyo, Australia, Rhode Island and even in Docklands where the Container City project first opened in 2005, closely followed by the impressive Riverside Building Offices. Home to 24 individual office spaces near the Thames, they quickly filled up.

Grangewood have put together a clever scheme that uses 36 shipping containers to create 36 unique and individual workspaces. The location is well placed for access to Central London. Loughton is already a highly popular business destination, helped by easy access to the M11 and the Central Line station linking Loughton with Stratford and Liverpool Street, which will have the added benefit of Crossrail from 2018.

An important benefit of the Cr@te development is the creation of a business community. With attractive rates, Grangewood believe they have created an ideal solution to coax entrepreneurs out of their home offices and bedrooms and in to a workspace that allows them to network with like-minded business owners. The power of a business network shouldn’t be under estimated. Many providers have identified the benefits for businesses that have a ready-made local community right on their doorstep, and host weekly or monthly networking groups, business breakfasts and after work meet-up’s.

With design now an important factor in the development of new office space, the team at Grangewood have taken time to design spaces that will provide inspiration to the businesses that use them. There is lots of light from the use of full height windows and doors as well as some great amenities, not least a great cup of coffee with the inclusion of Costa Coffee. There are also some really useful benefits like secure bike racks and showers which are handy if you cycle to work through the pretty Essex countryside.

Adam Walker, director at Grangewood Investments Ltd commented, “Cr@te is rapidly becoming a destination for innovation and those priced out of Central London. Cr@te is not your usual sterile office block. We are seeking to pack in talent, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, all with a buzzing social soul”.

Lee Grodent, Founder and CEO at Loc8 Commercial commented, “Loc8 are delighted to be helping Grangewood fill their exciting new development in Loughton, Essex. Back in 2014 we helped to identify a lack of serviced office space in the local and surrounding areas and advised Grangewood to create a number of office suites to offer Start-Up’s and SME’S good quality serviced office space. We advised Grangewood on a number of factors including licence agreements, office sizes and I.T. Following a £2 million pound refurbishment, Grangewood House opened in June 2015 and was 100% occupied within 3 months. With their latest development, Cr@te, Loughton gets a very distinctive workspace which is just thirty minutes from the City”.

More and more businesses are looking for a unique workspace that supports their business not only in the crucial early stages but also as it grows. Cr@te have set out to help nurture businesses, providing an energised environment that will set the standard for future developments. With a planned opening date of Q4 2016 this innovative development is set to fill up fast.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS DEVELOPMENT

As the development progresses, Cr@te will be releasing updates and sharing details about the newest business community in Essex as it takes shape. In the meantime you can find out more about this location HERE.

OTHER UNIQUE AND INTERESTING WORKSPACES

Loc8 Commercial has many imaginative workspaces and serviced office locations. You can catch up with our articles on the many different types workspace by clicking below:

Serviced Office Space that’s a little out of the Ordinary

About the Author

Stephen Moore is a writer and marketing consultant supporting businesses in the commercial property sector. Find out more about Stephen at Google+.

The post Workspace that’s unique and individual as your business appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

With investors keen to remove their funds from exposure to weakening confidence in parts of the economy like property and the financial sector, the feeling has been one of an impending recession.

The serviced office sector has been quite resilient to the ups and downs in the economy having weathered the downturn on 2008 remarkably well. The move then to look for short term property solutions to reduce long term risk meant that serviced office operators saw the longest period of sustained growth in its fifty plus year history.

The flexible workspace market has seen a number of mergers recently with new acquisitions taking place almost every month. When combined with the expansion of many providers like Citibase and Club Workspace it’s clear the sector is ploughing on regardless of the current economic climate. In a recent interview with Landmark CEO Richard Gill, Green Kinnear co-founder, Douglas Green says the recent consolidation in the sector looks set to continue in the short term and he goes on to talk about the expansion plans of a number of leading providers.

It may be still too early to say what will happen over the next six months, despite some analysts from UBS saying London property prices could fall by as much as 20% this year. This has been revised up from their previous estimate of 15% but it should also be noted that even at the very highest UBS estimate, this expected decline is a far cry from the 44% drop between 2007 and 2009.

These days the market is different from those unpredictable days of the so-called downturn. The banks exposure to commercial property debt is down from its £150bn peak in 2009, to around £85bn today.

With house prices stalling in the three months before the referendum, many experts have predicted a fall in prices in the months ahead, especially in London and Scotland. Markit chief economist Chris Williamson said, “This is the first time that prices have failed to rise in London since late 2012 in the quarter before the vote.” However, in July things are looking up. According to Knight Frank the negative outlook has failed to materialise, with London house sales up 38%, fueled by an influx of foreign investors attracted by the low pound.

This see-saw effect makes it very difficult to predict which way the property sector will go next, but all eyes are on the top property funds in the weeks ahead to see if current losses deepen or improve. With the appointment of Theresa May as the UK’s new Prime Minister this week, bureaucrats in Europe and the world financial markets are watching closely to see how she deals with the UK’s exit from the European Union.

Watch Theresa May’s full speech as Prime Minister below:

Video courtesy of ITV News

So watch this space to see what happens next. We will post updates as the situation develops.

About the Author

Stephen Moore is a writer and marketing consultant supporting businesses in the commercial property sector. Find out more about Stephen at Google+.

The post The Post Brexit implications for the Serviced Office Sector appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

Would Brexit be a good thing for your business?

The results of the Loc8 Commercial survey show that SME’s are split when it comes to whether leaving the EU would have a negative impact on their businesses, with 46% in favour of a British exit from the EU and 46% wanting to stay and just 8% undecided either way.

Will the UK be better off out of the EU?

When asked “would the UK economy be better off if the country left the EU?” businesses responded by saying yes, with just over 50% compared to the 43% that said no.

Do you think a recession is more likely of the UK left the EU?

The Loc8 Commercial survey had some mixed results which could support the theory that many people are simply not sure what impact Brexit will have on the wider economy. For example, 38% of businesses thought a recession would be more likely despite more than 50% agreeing Brexit would be good for the UK economy.

Would there be job losses if the UK left the EU?

Brexit campaigners have said that there could be some short term growth issues but the long term forecast would be generally positive. Ian Duncan Smith said he believes the downward impact on wage growth is due to European migration, something that has been mentioned throughout the debate. But what is not clear is the impact of wage inflation on UK jobs if the country votes to leave, especially as productivity is not rising at the same rate as other European countries according to the Office of National Statistics.

The Loc8 Commercial survey found that just under 40% of UK businesses think there would be job losses if the UK voted to leave, with 31% feeling confident there would not be any immediate increase in unemployment figures. This question had one of the highest levels of respondents who were unsure, with just over 30% not clear either way.

The immediate impact of Brexit on the UK Economy

Last week the head of the World Trade Organisation, Roberto Azevêdo, said in an interview with the Financial Times that the UK would find negotiations for trade deals slow and time consuming following an exit from the EU. As a result there would be an impact on the UK economy which could lead to a recession in the short term. The Loc8 Commercial survey supports the views of Mr Azevêdo with 38% believing a recession was likely. However, there is an equal number between those who are unsure and those that believe a recession is unlikely.

Lee Grodent, CEO and Founder of Loc8 Commercial said, “Our quick survey has thrown up a number of issues that are concerning UK SME’s. With the arguments on both sides being clouded by negative headlines it’s easy to understand why the respondents of our survey are uncertain about the affects of Brexit on the wider economy. It’s clear from these results that the referendum could be close either way.”

What issues have the greatest negative impact on UK businesses?

Both sides of the debate have argued that there is either too much or very little EU red tape. These confusing arguments haven’t helped to clarify the debate. Last month The Treasury cited the LSE Centre for Economic Performance report which stated, “It is unclear whether there are substantial regulatory benefits from Brexit”. Businesses that took part in the Loc8 Commercial survey however, think red tape is the biggest issue affecting their ability to do business easily with 58%. In addition, the regularity of new EU regulations is the second biggest issue with 35% citing this as a concern, well ahead of immigration, which had a zero score from the businesses that took part in the survey.

-Ends-

About Loc8 Commercial

Loc8 Commercial help businesses by working with worldwide, national and independent providers of serviced offices, managed offices, virtual offices and the growing number of Co-working locations to find the right flexible work space solution for you. We’re impartial so you’re guaranteed to get the right advice to suit your budget, location requirements and business needs. Loc8 Commercial has over 20 years experience of the global office space market.

www.loc8commercial.com

Press Contacts

For further information about Loc8 Commercial or this press release please contact the Loc8 Commercial press team at AIM.

Stephen Moore – Telephone: 07984 077838 or 020 3053 8670

Email: Stephen@adventuresinmarketing.co.uk

The post PRESS RELEASE – What do UK SME’s really think about Brexit? appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

With the referendum looming on 23^rd June, there have been many polls asking UK voters how they will vote when faced with their ballot paper in the booth on the big day. But what do UK business owners think?

Loc8 Commercial invited 500 UK business owners to answer five simple questions on the Brexit argument. The results show that among this group, there is deadlock, with 46% in favour of a British exit from the EU and 46% wanting to stay and just 8% undecided either way.

Will the UK be Better Off Out of the EU?

When asked “would the UK economy be better off if the country left the EU?” businesses responded by saying yes with just over 50% compared to the 43% that said no.

Our survey had some mixed results which could support the theory that many people are simply not sure what impact Brexit will have on the wider economy. For example, 38% of businesses thought a recession would be more likely despite more than 50% agreeing Brexit would be good for the UK economy.

The impact of Brexit on Jobs and Wages 

Brexit campaigners have said that there could be some short term growth issues but the long term forecast would be generally positive. Ian Duncan Smith said he believes the downward impact on wage growth is down to European migration, something that has been mentioned throughout the debate. But what is not clear is the impact of wage inflation on UK jobs if the country votes to leave, especially as productivity is not rising at the same rate as other European countries according to the Office of National Statistics.

Our survey found that just under 40% of UK businesses think there would be job losses if the UK voted to leave, with 31% feeling confident there would not be any immediate job losses. Of all our survey questions, this was one of the highest with businesses not sure which way they would vote.

The immediate impact of Brexit on the UK Economy

This week the head of the World Trade Organisation, Roberto Azevêdo, has said in an interview with the Financial Times that the UK would find negotiations for trade deals slow and time consuming following an exit from the EU. As a result there would be an impact on the UK economy which could lead to a recession in the short term. Our survey supports the views of Mr Azevêdo with 38% believing a recession was likely. However, there is an equal number between those who are unsure and those that believe a recession is unlikely.

What are the Big issues worrying Businesses about EU Membership?

Both sides of the debate have argued that there is either too much or very little EU red tape. These confusing arguments haven’t helped the debate. Last month The Treasury cited the LSE Centre for Economic Performance report which stated, “it is unclear whether there are substantial regulatory benefits from Brexit”. Businesses that took part in our survey however, think red tape is the biggest issue affecting their ability to do business easily. In addition, the regularity of new EU regulations is the second biggest issue with 35% citing this as a concern, well ahead of immigration, which had a zero score from the businesses that took part.

The Big Day

With the big day looming  in under four weeks, many businesses are still unclear how to vote partly due to the confusion and the largely negative campaigning from both sides of the debate. If you are still unsure, we have put together several useful links below to help give you an impartial view about the facts.

Brexit Resources

Here are some useful links that help to explain the referendum issues.

Open Europe – A full report on the affects of Brexit and the types of membership of the EU.

BBC News – A summary of the issues from the BBC news team.

Carter Jonas –  A report on the impact of Brexit on UK property.

The Week – A general overview of the facts around the referendum.

The post Is Brexit going to be good for UK businesses? appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

In its 20^th year the survey looks at the number of new office developments that have started in the capital.  The latest suggests that more than 51 new office buildings have begun construction in the last six months, putting building work at a 20 year record.

Chris Lewis head of occupier advisory at Deloitte said, “Availability is the lowest it’s been for 15 years. The amount of development we’ve seen feeding through over the past five years has been below average, and as a result there has been very little space completed,” he said. “It is a surprise to see this many new schemes.”

He went on to say, “the pendulum is swinging away from landlords back towards tenants, with greater choice leading to more opportunity”. These record increases suggest demand has not slowed down over Brexit fears for the UK economy.

So what is currently under construction in London?

New Buildings in London

By far the largest building to start in the last six months has got to be 70 Farringdon Street right on the fringe of the area known as Midtown. It’s a colossal 843,000 square feet and due for completion in 2017. It is one of a number of new developments in this part of town which has seen prices soar. Availability has become limited as businesses look for alternatives away from the West End.

However, topping 70 Farringdon Street is the 40 storey 100 Bishopsgate building which at 867,000 square feet is located in the heart of the City skyscraper belt close to the Gherkin on St Mary Axe.

So these along with many of the other 51 developments are already 42% let at this early stage. Proving popular with a mix of businesses across the technology, financial and media sectors.

Interestingly, the London Tall Building Survey 2016 listed 94 tall buildings submitted for planning consent in the last year. Making a total of over 200 high rises waiting to start construction. By far the tallest of these is One Undershaft at 73 storey’s it will be the City of London’s tallest building and the second tallest in London after The Shard.

We will keep you posted on developments over the summer as new buildings launch and others start construction.

Main photo by Alamy

The post London Office Space Construction At An All Time High appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

With confusion growing, a large proportion of the electorate have yet to be swayed either way, something that is blamed on the negative campaigns about the benefits to business and the wider UK economy of EU membership. However, many polls are suggesting the vote could be swayed in favour of Brexit by the number of over 65’s who turn out to vote.

According to YouGov’s Stephan Shakespeare in an article published in The Times, his company’s online polls have corrected for this indecision and now represent a true snapshot of public opinion. He said “the deep human drive to avoid risk is likely to become increasingly powerful as we get closer to a real decision which cannot easily be changed once it is made.” The result, he says, is that “whatever the state of the polls today, it is impossible right now to predict the level of change in people’s views yet to come”.

This is by far one of the most important votes in recent memory, along with the Scottish Referendum in 2014, as the long term implications on the UK economy could either be positive or negative for future generations.

So what are the pro’s and con’s for UK businesses? We’ve looked at some of the main arguments on both sides.

Here are the pros:

• UK businesses and especially SME’s often see the EU trade regulations as unnecessary red tape especially in sectors like food and consumer goods. Leaving the EU would allow the UK Government to change these regulations, making it easier for businesses to sell their goods.
• The UK contributed over £13bn last year but received more than £4bn in support. By not paying £8bn to the EU it is believed that this saving of around 180 Euros per person in the UK would raise the prospect of tax reductions that could directly impact businesses regardless of size.
• Many believe the UK could have the same benefits as Iceland who are members of the European Economic Area (but not the EU) which comes without the confines of the red tape that is part of full membership.

And the cons:

• Some parts of the UK economy like farming could be hit hardest because of the loss of EU farming subsidies.
• There are several free grade agreements that the UK benefits from through its EU membership. Brexit would mean the country would have to negotiate agreements with these areas like Latin America for example.
• UK goods and services could be more expensive because of tariff changes that would be inevitable for businesses that trade in European countries outside the EU.
• The lack of import taxes within the EU helps UK businesses compete equally with other businesses across the continent. If the UK left there could be increased uncertainty which could have a negative impact on business growth in the future.

These pros and cons are responsible for so much uncertainty among UK businesses and voters, with many saying the campaigns for both sides of the European argument are not making it clear enough to make a decision on the big day.

The impact on the flexible workspace sector would be dependent on the challenges faced by SME’s and the large businesses that use serviced office space, managed space and flexible solutions. The sector has seen exceptional growth over the last few years with a growing number of workspace providers and increasing occupancy levels in areas that struggled during the down turn like Bristol, Manchester and the North East.

TAKE THE LOC8 COMMERCIAL SURVEY

To gauge the potential challenges faced by the growing sector we have put together a short survey to seek opinion from businesses across the UK. It takes under a minute to complete and we will publish the results from 23rd May.

CLICK TO TAKE THE SURVEY

About the Author

Stephen Moore is a writer and marketing consultant supporting businesses in the commercial property sector. Find out more about Stephen at Google+.

The post Will Brexit Affect your Business? appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

Here we ask UK business owners if they think Brexit will be good or bad for their businesses. We are particularly keen to hear the views of serviced office providers, flexible workspace providers and businesses who use these services.

TAKE THE SURVEY IN UNDER A MINUTE

Create your own user feedback survey

Thank you for your time. We will be publishing the results of the survey on 16th May on our social media channels and here on the blog.

The post Is Brexit Good For UK Businesses? Take the Survey appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.