1. Going for comfort!– Feeling a long day at the office, as the winter draws in? Well hey: you may as well make it as cosy as you can whilst you’re there… Give your space a little makeover, playing around with different textiles and cushions. It’ll make your co-workers longing for yours!

Image from Ikea: http://www.ikea.com

2. Grab a bulletin board and fill it with pictures that inspire you!- Family, friends, dream home, holiday destinations, goals, to do lists, the lot! The more, the merrier; the bigger, the better… So long as it’s not going to leave you day-dreaming all afternoon. We’re adding this to PUSH YOU!

Photo via Habitissimo: https://fotos.habitissimo.com.br/foto/paredes-revestidas-de-cortica_897200

3. Have some fun with wall art- posters, stickers, humorous quotes, the lot! Don’t walk into a room that’s empty; have something there that gives you a little giggle or brightens your day in the morning. Sometimes, it’s the small things that make all the difference.

Photo via Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/ie/listing/251821610/humorous-print-maybe-swearing-will-help

4. Epic organisers- A messy desk means a messy mind, or so they say right?! Remove all distractions by getting creative with your desk space. When you have a look around, you’ll actually find heaps of pretty cool options. Which one’s your favourite?

Photo via Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/514677063646031828/?lp=true

5. Let’s make some space- Feeling cramped? Want a little more light and life? We have the perfect solution… And no, this is not an excuse for you to look at yourself (although we’ll all have a cheeky glance right?!)- Instead, these mirrors are going to add some serious reflecting, making the space seem bigger than it actually is!

Photo via Carly Cristman: http://www.carlycristman.com/uncategorized/home-office-and-apartment-decorating-ideas/

6. Go green!– Okay so maybe this is going a little to the extreme, but a few plants/ flowers in the office will do you the world of good… That fresh air circulating in your workspace, taking out all the bad CO2- it’ll help to fuel your brain and bring ideas to life! Clean, fresh and let’s not forget: it gives you an excuse to take a little break to water them!

Photo via GreenTower: http://greentower.info/plants-for-the-office.html

7. Fly into your day- Okay so maybe this is not quite in your office, but wouldn’t it make you excited to get there?! Maybe one to bring up with the boss 😉

Photo via Zingy Homes: http://www.zingyhomes.com/latest-trends/creative-office-space-interior-design-ideas-tips/

Have fun! And remember- if you’re looking for a new office space, we’re here with free, impartial advice and property searching. Feel free to have a look through our properties for some inspiring workspaces – www.loc8commercial.com 

The post Seven Ways to Make Your Office More Inspiring appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

Melbourne Server Hosting

If you are looking for ways to differentiate a typical office floor, why not stick a library room in the middle? All of sudden, office meetings feel more like the start of a murder mystery tale set in an English manor house.

Couchsurfing

Living up to its name and business, Couchsurfing’s office space is seriously cool and laid back. Looking more like a teenager’s basement than the office space of a global business, Couchsurfing employees enjoy sofas, swings and plenty of open space.

Inventionland Design Factory

This office is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. This office is designed with 15 different sets, ranging from pirate ships, race tracks, faux caves, red carpet walkways, a castle and a giant robot. Not only does the space have fun, creative decor, but the facility also has a state-of-the-art sound/video/animation studio and fully-equipped workshops for creating working prototypes of inventions.

Dropbox

The mission of the popular file hosting and sharing platform Dropbox is to make it easy for people to work comfortably from anywhere. So when it came time to design office space, Dropbox wanted the space to do the same thing. It’s an office that Dropbox likens to a city plaza: a mixture of public and semiprivate spaces that encourage workers to find their own personal bliss.

The post 4 of the coolest offices in the world appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

At Loc8 Commercial, we know offices and have compiled a collection of office images giving an insight into how far office design has come.

Office Design in 1950s

Large heavy filing cabinets filled with paperwork could be seen as large pieces of furniture taking up space in small workspaces. It was common to find two people sharing a desk with an interior that consisted of chunky desks, carpet flooring, the odd picture on the wall and cream coloured décor.

Office Design in 1960s

The rise of G-Plan furniture in the home and office allowed workspaces to become more colourful, playful and contemporary. Offices moved from carpets to wooden floors with slightly more comfortable chairs. Desks were designed to allow easier cleaning in and around the workspaces. Large filing cabinets were still popular but the rise of personal desk storage and filing meant workers had more freedom and trust.

Office Design in 1970s

Major office developments in the 70s included wall colours and personal workstations.  Workers had more space to themselves and were often at their desk most of the day using the typewriter. As you can see in this office they have opted to go back to carpets but the desk designs still allowed cleaning to happen easier. Office plants and telephones are the other two new additions to offices in this era. Offices were still full of paperwork and storage cabinets.

Office Design in 1980s

Some would say the best decade to have been alive in. As you can see the 80s didn’t really deliver on office design innovation. The introduction of personal computers on each desk along with more ergonomic chairs and slightly more private working spaces summed up this era. Personal storage space was important and workers often brought in photos of their friends and family which were left in the office. People had their own desks which allowed for personalisation. Due to the increase of technology, offices were full of wires and health & safety began to creep into people’s conscience. Orange chairs were very trendy during this time!

Office Design in 1990s

Not much changed in the 90s, computers were still big and heavy taking up a large amounts of space on a desk. Telephones, keyboards, mobile phones and integrated personal storage in desks with the odd plant, photocopier, fax machine and more wires oh and along with very unstylish carpet sums up the 90s work environment.

Office Design in 2000s

Computers became thinner and more light weight taking up less desk space. Mobile phones were smaller and emails were the main form of communication meaning less paperwork for the first time. Offices became slightly more casual with people hanging their personal items on the backs of their chairs. Chairs were more ergonomic as people become more body and health conscious. Exposed brick walls became popular adding character and style along with white boards and artwork decorating the walls. Wood flooring proved to be more hardwearing and became the number one choice of office flooring.

Office Design in 2010s

Creative, casual, fun, engaging, colourful, interactive, inspiring, comfortable office environments can we found in every city across the country. Furniture that doesn’t match or is upcycled has become cool and contrasting colours are the norm. Break out spaces where employees can work or play are expected with laptops allowing people to work wirelessly from anywhere with access to food and drink on tap. The integration of plug sockets in the floor, walls, ceilings and sofa’s mean people can charge their phones and computers anywhere whilst hot desking. Having a fixed formal desk and workspace is seen as old fashioned. If you’re working in a coworking space then it is likely you will be working next to someone from a completely different company with clients in a completely different time zone.

If your looking for a modern, inspiring office solution then give us a call on 020 3031 8563 or search via our website https://loc8commercial.com

The post How Office design has changed over the years appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

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.

During the downturn in 2008 many businesses looked for more flexible solutions for their office space. With long leases coming under significant pressure from serviced office providers able to offer flexibility in uncertain times, many businesses opted for short term solutions.

It meant that there was an explosion in growth in the serviced office sector that bucked the trend and saw the start of consolidation in the serviced office market. The clear winners during this period were the clients of serviced office providers. With more choice from the new centres and refurbishments, clients could choose their ideal office space solution.

But with office availability in many areas of London coming under pressure in recent years, the post Brexit economy still faces limited choice and serviced office providers are set to see demand continue to rise in the long term.

So what are the hidden benefits of serviced office space? Well more than you would think…

The Power of Your Network

One of the key benefits of any serviced office business centre is the ready-made network of businesses. Co-working locations are built around the network of people who use them and so are serviced office business centres. Many have regular networking events around breakfast or lunch times and also in the evening.

Transparent Pricing

One of the most significant benefits of a serviced office location is the ability to budget every month. Allowing you to fully understand the costs you can expect when you get the regular invoice.  Generally with all those additional costs included like security and utilities, it’s easy to see how serviced offices are a popular choice.

Luxury without the Financial Commitment

Affording your first office space shouldn’t mean you have to compromise on quality. Whilst there is an abundance of budget office space in key locations, many serviced office providers provide high-end office space that’s remarkable value for money when you consider the many added benefits.

Your clients will be impressed with the quality of the beverage kitchens, break-out spaces and meeting rooms at your disposal from providers like Landmark PLC, BE Offices and Leo. These companies have invested in luxury interiors with many unique and interesting features so you don’t have to. The impact they have on your clients can be huge and the benefit to your business can be considerable.

Secretarial Support on hand

Many business centres can offer a number of support options like printing and copying and even binding for that important business report.

But they also offer secretarial support to get typing completed, saving you and your team hours of additional time. This can be a highly useful benefit that can get lost amongst all the many others when you sign up for your new office space. So ask your centre manager for more details. It’s not just about answering your calls and greeting your visitors!

Flexibility to move locations

A serviced office provider with locations across London and the UK can provide a useful hidden benefit. But could provide a cost effective lifeline should you need to relocate. With exit fees and moving costs to consider a better and more cost effective solution would be to relocate to another business centre with the same provider.

The upheaval of moving offices can be difficult enough. Changing your business address on everything can be time consuming and expensive. So anything that makes the process of moving easier should be grasped with both hands.

There are many more hidden benefits of serviced office space in addition to these we’ve mentioned here. The ability to move in quickly with very little inconvenience is perhaps the most obvious benefit. But take a moment to consider all the others that take the headache out of new office space.

To talk to a member of our team for free impartial advice and to discuss the many hidden benefits of your next office space call 020 3031 8563

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 hidden benefits of a Serviced Office appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

But what are the key things to consider before you commit to that nice new office you just looked at? Well before we go any further we’d suggest doing your homework before you even take a look inside an office location. You could just be wasting your valuable time if you haven’t defined what is important to your business.

So what are the top office shopping list items you should tick off before you make that big office move?

Here is our serviced office space shopping list priority top six:

1. Size Matters

One of the biggest benefits of serviced offices are that they can grow with your business. In the good times and not so good times, a serviced office can flex with the success of your business. It’s this ultimate flexibility that makes them such a good bet for a new or expanding business. In these uncertain times after the EU referendum, flexibility is going to be vital to ensure you don’t over commit to long leases.

2. A Great Chair

Many people will tell you (and you’ve probably experienced it too) that a good chair pays dividends when it comes to employee well-being. We’ve all sat on hard and uncomfortable chairs over the years. Posture is highly important for people sat at a desk for eight hours every day. So a really great chair with excellent lumber support is a must. Test them out when you take a tour of any office space. Road testing the space should be a high priority. After all you could be working there. So it should be comfortable for you and your employees.

3. Water Cooler Moments

It’s great to have an open plan office but some thought should be given to spaces that promote team interaction. We’ve all heard the typical examples of the meetings around the water cooler so try and create spaces for people to meet. A kitchen to make beverages or some soft seating creates spaces where employees can make calls and catch up with colleagues. However, it’s not always possible to have these areas in an office for just three or four people so make sure there are similar spaces located in the serviced office centre.

4. How good is the Broadband?

We’re all connected 24/7 these days so it’s easy to just expect everywhere to provide good Wi-Fi or connected broadband. If you are a creative business upload speeds could be an important consideration so make sure you ask about bandwidth limits and charges for additional bandwidth. You certainly don’t want any unexpected surprises when you move in.

5. Journey times

Who wants an overly long commute? In these days when flexibility in the workplace is an important consideration for people taking a job one of the vital things to consider when looking at office locations are the local transport links. The more options the better really. For example, if you look at Bank in the City of London, it boasts several mainline train stations within a ten minute walk, the Docklands Light Railway linking the area to Canary Wharf and the City Airport, five Tube lines and half a dozen bus services. It’s one of the reasons this location is highly desirable.

So check what’s available at the offices on your shortlist. We can advise you and you can always ask at each location. Some may even have car parks, but always ask if this is included or an additional charge.

6. What’s for lunch?

It’s easy to think there will be somewhere close by to get lunch or even a local bar for after-work drinks. We would always suggest looking at the amenities in the local area. Some office locations have their own cafes and even a “sandwich man” or sandwich lady”. Never under estimate the many benefits that a choice of local shops, supermarkets and cafe’s provide for your employees.

This is just six of many things to consider. We could go on but our “office shopping list” will provide you with everything you need when you look at your next office. It’s also good if it’s your first office space too.

Download our SERVICED OFFICE CHECKLIST MARCH 2016

The post What should be on your Office Space Shopping List? appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.