Heading the trio is serviced office provider Business Environment which moved up 12 places on last year’s results to rank as the 23rd best small company to work for. It also received a three-star ‘outstanding’ accreditation which only 50 companies in the country have been awarded.

Simon Rusk, finance director of Business Environment, comments: “In any service industry, how you look after your staff then flows into the service that you provide to clients. The receptionist who is happy and empowered will want to do her best for that client when they walk through the door in the morning.”

He says that direct link between staff wellbeing and client service is crucially important, a correlation that is reflected in Business Environment also being voted the best business centre of the year by the Business Centre Association for three out of the last four years, including 2009.

In the Sunday Times league table, Business Environment came 8th overall in the staff wellbeing category. Simon says this is particularly notable given that they are competing against charities where employees have to be incredibly motivated to do their job. “It’s a real testament to how, as a team, we pull together and support each other,” he remarks.

A high score for personal growth helped serviced office provider Avanta to take 74th place in the Sunday Times league table. “Ensuring staff are happy, motivated and provided with promotion opportunities to achieve their career development ambitions is key to the ongoing success of any business,” comments Jill Jackson, Avanta’s director of HR and training.

“As a client-focused business, it is essential that the quality of customer care matches the high quality of the serviced office infrastructure that we provide, which is why we’ve developed our own training sponsorship scheme to enable centre staff to perform to the best of their ability, whilst enhancing their career prospects.”

Jennifer Brooke, executive director of the Business Centre Association, says: “Having three BCA members in the top 100 Best Small Companies to Work For table clearly demonstrates that the professionalism and high standards of customer care that these companies convey externally are mirrored in their approach to their own staff, while also providing an enjoyable working environment.”

This year’s Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For list – its 10th to date – was derived from entries by 964 companies across the UK. In total, the organisers surveyed the opinions of over 230,000 employees.

Source: BCA PR

Travel firm, Cruisenation.com, which specialises in cruises and Florida holidays; Web Development Company, Silent Web Solutions; Environmental Consultants, Built Environment Services; and Web Designers, Buyapage; have all taken space in Forsyth House on Queen Street, the 11,000 sq ft, three-storey centre, close to Blackpool’s famous Golden Mile.

Other clients include Rideability, which provides local residents experiencing mobility problems with fully accessible buses for travel in the Blackpool area; and Built Environment Recruitment Consultants, Anderson Technical.

The building was previously Blackpool Borough Council’s Budget Business Centre and underwent a major refurbishment following acquisition by Forsyth parent company, Scarborough Group International last year.

Forsyth House provides fully-furnished modern office accommodation on flexible occupancy terms, and has a staffed reception, 24-hour access, telephone answering, meeting rooms and secretarial services, as well as virtual offices.

Tracy McLeod, centre manager, said: “We are delighted to welcome all our new clients to Forsyth House, where our aim is to make customer service a first-class experience.

“The centre is becoming increasingly attractive to local businesses that want the low risk option of flexible terms but still require a professional working environment.”

Forsyth operate 23 centres nationwide and two in China.

ARRANGE A VIEWING AT THESE BLACKPOOL SERVICED OFFICES ON 08081 788 659

OR search our website for all serviced offices in Blackpool at http://www.serviced-offices.com/serviced_offices.asp?city=FY1&orig=Blackpool,%20Lancashire,%20England,%20FY1

BBC South’s Sally Taylor was on hand as celebrity guest to cut the symbolic red ribbon at the opening of the new business suites at Langstone Technology Park, Havant.

The fully-furnished business suites, from one workstation upwards, are offered on flexible terms and available for immediate occupation.

Gary Medlow, Managing Director of Fasset, which manages the 43-acre park, said: “The business suites ideally suit smaller occupiers who want to be part of a vibrant, exciting environment with access to centralised facilities such as the restaurant, Starbucks, grab-and-go shop, hired meeting rooms and a gym.

“As I mentioned to regional property agents last October when they came on a fact-finding tour of the park, there is definitely a growing market demand for smaller accommodation by companies wanting flexible and competitively-priced accommodation, IT support, high-speed internet connectivity, parking, decent office space and excellent road, rail and public transport links.”

He added: “The business suites have been an amazing success so far, the first phase is now fully occupied and we have subsequently invested in phase 2, a further 4,625 sq ft (429 sq m) which we expect to be filled in a short space of time.

“Occupiers like the fact they can portray a professional business image with our best-in-class location and self-delivered services, from reception and cleaning to IT support and security, ensuring all-round excellence. There is also the scope for occupiers to grow into follow-up space on site, or remain the original size.”

Ms Taylor, who is an MBE for services to regional broadcasting, praised the “lovely feel” of the business suites and complimented the park for its vibrant sense of community.

She also said how refreshing it was to see facilities geared to home workers who require a professional office away from home, to further improve productivity and reduce any sense of isolation. She was also impressed with the restaurant and highlighted the benefits of networking with fellow professionals based on site.

More than 25 guests from the business community in and around Portsmouth attended the launch, including Havant’s mayor, Councillor Jackie Branson.

Langstone Technology Park is operated by regional technology parks specialist Fasset, which invested £18m in upgrades and has space availability of between 100 sq ft (30 sq m) and 50,000 sq ft (15,240 sq m) for offices, call centres, warehousing, loading and data storage.

Companies at the park include electronics giant Hitachi, organic tomatoes grower Wight Salads, telecoms specialist AT&T, and national mapping agency Ordnance Survey. Suites include a workstation, desk, chair, pedestal, storage cupboard, telephone handset with DDI number and voicemail and CAT 5e cabling for voice/data connectivity.

PICTURE: From left, BBC South presenter Sally Taylor, Fasset managing director Gary Medlow and Councillor Jackie Branson, the mayor of Havant

ARRANGE A VIEWING AT THESE NEW PORTSMOUTH SERVICED OFFICES ON 08081 788 659

You can also search for Portsmouth Serviced Offices on our website at http://www.serviced-offices.com/serviced_offices.asp?city=portsmouth

This year marks the completion of the 10th Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For lists, which have been derived from entries by 964 companies across the UK. In total, the organisers surveyed over 230,000 employee opinions and carried out an evaluation of each organisation’s key statistics, processes and policies.

Commenting on Avanta’s award, Jonathan Austin, founder and CEO of Best Companies Ltd, said “I am delighted that Avanta has achieved a place on this year’s list. All organisations on the list should be truly proud that your employees and colleagues recognise you as a Best Company to Work For.

“This year’s survey also underlines the important role managers have in keeping their team productive and motivated. For the first time in the ten years of our research, employees have cited their own manager as a more important factor in their engagement than the leader and senior management.

“Ensuring staff are happy, motivated and are provided with promotion opportunities to achieve their career development ambitions is the key to the ongoing success of any business,” comments Jill Jackson, Avanta’s director of HR & training. So to receive this award is just reward for the way we strive to engage our workforce by ensuring they are involved in all aspects our business.

“As a client-focussed business it is essential that the quality of customer care matches the high quality of the serviced office infrastructure that we provide, which is why we’ve developed our own training sponsorship scheme for all centre staff to enable them to perform to the best of their ability, whilst enhancing their career prospects. In addition Avanta also provides childcare and birthday vouchers and we even operate a cycle scheme.”

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT AVANTA’S FLEXIBLE OFFICES? CALL 08081 788 659 TO SPEAK WITH A MEMBER OF OUR SALES TEAM

Building Services and Sustainability Specialists, Futureserv; Design Agency, Detail Creative; Oke Hypnotherapy & Lifecoaching; Software Programming Recruitment Company, TM Silver Recruitment and Azimi Hypnotherapy, have all taken space in the Triangle, the only serviced office complex in the city’s Northern Quarter.

The 31,000 sq ft landmark building is operated on a Management Contract under the Forsyth brand on behalf of landlord, Aviva, and offers fully furnished, modern office space on flexible terms, for small to medium sized businesses (SMEs). Both Aviva and Forsyth have provided significant investment in the property to create first-class facilities.

David Harrop, finance director, Forsyth, said: “We are delighted to welcome all our new clients to the Triangle. Manchester is a thriving centre and a great place to do business.

“I believe our success in the city shows there is a clear demand for a flexible and fully inclusive facility amongst the local SME community who are not in a position to commit to traditional long-term leases for office space.”

In addition to offices, businesses can also take advantage of full administrative and infrastructure backup including telephone answering, meeting rooms and secretarial services, as well as virtual offices.

SEARCH FOR SERVICED OFFICES IN MANCHESTER ON OUR WEBSITE AT

http://www.serviced-offices.com/Manchester/

OR call 08081 788 659 to discuss your serviced office requirement in further detail

Article Source: Forsyth PR

Forsyth@Gelderd Point, located just off the M62 at Gildersome, Leeds, has five new clients – Board & Executive Recruitment Consultancy, BK Cornerstone; Building Management System Specialists, Keep Keen Controls; Recruitment Agency, Kelly Services; Juice Manufacturer and Distributor, Sunnyland Distribution and Industrial Injury Solicitors, Lance Mason; taking its client base to 20.

Scientific Recruitment Specialists, Langton Howarth; Catering and Industrial Recruitment Agency, Ritz Recruitment; and Lorimer Clarke, which specialises in Executive Selection for the Retail and Oil & Gas sectors, are the latest firms to move into 117 The Headrow, Forsyth’s four-storey complex in Leeds city centre, where occupancy has more than doubled in the last year.

In Harrogate, the Company has two new clients at Forsyth@Southfield, its newly renovated centre on Station Parade – UK and International Food & Drink Industry Recruitment Consultants, Focus Management Group and Liselle O’Flaherty who offers Counselling and Psychotherapy.

All three centres are run on Management Contracts for landlords under the Forsyth brand, providing state-of-the-art office space for small to medium sized businesses (SMEs) on flexible occupancy terms, helping them avoid long-term lease commitments.

David Harrop, finance director, Forsyth, said: “Forsyth has opened 11 new centres in the last year, all Management Contracts for landlords who recognised that the serviced office market is very attractive in the current economic climate, and affords them a way to achieve revenues for properties that might otherwise remain vacant.

“I believe our success is down to a combination of facilities, customer service, location and atmosphere and the signing of so many new clients coupled with the high levels of occupancy, is proof that this business model works.”

SEARCH FOR YORKSHIRE SERVICED OFFICES ON OUR WEBSITE AT

http://www.serviced-offices.com/

OR call 08081 788 659 to discuss your Yorkshire office requirement in further detail

Article Source: Forsyth PR

“The new centre comes hot on the heels of the recent doubling in size of Avanta’s Devonshire Square business centre. As a London-focussed supplier of managed office space we have witnessed exceptional demand for high quality office space in the City during the past few months, so we are increasing our portfolio of top quality buildings to accommodate this demand”, comments David Alberto, Avanta’s managing director.

“Fetter Lane will provide in excess of 19,000 sq ft of high-quality serviced offices, meeting, training & conference rooms, as well as virtual office services. It is a great location on the corner of Fetter Lane and Fleet Street, practically adjacent to the Royal Courts of Justice and close to major law firms and banks like Goldman Sachs, Coutts and Freshfields.”

Nearby transport links include Chancery Lane & Temple tube stations and Blackfriars Station or the City Thameslink on Ludgate Hill thus providing easy access to both London Underground and Thameslink services.

 One Fetter Lane is currently occupied by US-based law firm, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge which will shortly be relocating to larger premises in the City of London. Avanta hopes to complete a high specification fit out and have the building ready for occupation by the beginning of September.

SEACH FOR SERVICED OFFICES IN THE CITY OF LONDON AT

http://www.serviced-offices.com/London%20City/

Or call 08081 788 659 today to discuss your City office space requirement in further detail

Article Source: Avanta

Adam will have responsibility for Orega’s business centres in Staines, Slough and Wandsworth. He was previously at West London commercial chartered surveyors Vokins where he handled office, industrial and retail instructions for 4.5 years. He has also worked at Workspace Group and at residential property consultancy Hamptons.

Linda Burton is now regional sales manager for both The Beehive business centre, near Gatwick Airport, and the Chertsey site, while Kevin Sperrin, becomes regional sales manager for Colmore Plaza business centre in Birmingham in addition to Manchester’s Three Piccadilly Place.

Phil Perchard continues as overall head of sales for Orega’s UK business centre network. He says the new appointment and internal restructuring reflect the way in which Orega has grown both geographically and operationally, with further appointments likely as the company continues to expand.

Source: Orega

SEARCH FOR SERVICED OFFICES IN ANY OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED LOCATIONS WITH SERIVCED-OFFICES.COM

Julie Calder, managing director, Abbey Business Centres, said: “Sky News has taken a two-year licence on serviced office terms. As the space is being used as a studio it is obviously not office standard but this leasing agreement shows just how flexible business centres can be in providing commercial space solutions.

“Sky News was particularly impressed by The Gherkin itself and the view from its base on the 15th floor. I think this gives out a message that there is a place for the serviced office package within iconic structures.

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Sky News and hope to regularly bump into celebrities from the world of business.”

Jeff Randall Live is shown at 7.30pm Monday to Thursday; the new studio will initially broadcast in standard definition only, but will switch to HD when Sky News launches its HD channel later in the spring.

Sky News believes a base at The Gherkin will allow greater and faster access to the key City decision makers for Sky News’ team of specialist business journalists. The studio will provide a convenient and easy location for studio guests across Sky News’ business output, and allow Jeff Randall and the Sky News business team to bring viewers the latest business news direct from the City.

The new studio sets Sky News apart from other UK TV organisations in having a dedicated broadcasting base within the City. With the launch of the studio, viewers will be treated to a panoramic view of London towards Westminster, overlooking Tower 42, St Paul’s Cathedral and the new Heron Tower. The studio will comprise a presenters’ desk for Jeff, space for up to three studio guests, as well as a large screen for live video link interviews. In addition there will be office space for up to eight Sky News staff. The studio will also be used for special programmes, including Budget day.

Chris Birkett, executive editor for Sky News said: “The City of London is at the heart of the UK economy, it’s where the banking crisis happened and it’s where the key players – from monetary policy makers to top executives and analysts – are based. The new studio will provide Sky News

viewers with a visually stunning backdrop for business news, and with the launch of the HD channel in the spring, it will bring them even closer to the business stories that matter to them.”

ARRANGE SERVICED OFFICE VIEWINGS AT THE GHERKIN ON

08081 788 659

Search for Serviced Office solutions in the City of London on our website at http://www.serviced-offices.com/London%20City/

Article Source: Abbey Business Centres

More than 40 people from the business centre industry were treated to an informative and entertaining programme of speakers and panellists over the course of the day. Following an introduction by BCA executive director Jennifer Brooke, Simon Jones of Avenir Marketing gave an instructional presentation on how to deal more effectively with enquiries and viewings.

Mark Furness of essensys, which was the event’s sponsor, highlighted the benefits of cloud technology to serviced office users in a thought-provoking session. The lunchtime period provided an opportunity for a tour of Orega’s business centre which totals 20,000 sq ft over ground and mezzanine floors, and is fitted out to a very high standard.

The day was rounded off with a lively panel debate among broker and operator representatives on the issues facing the sector in the Midlands and the UK generally. This included a discussion about the need for comprehensive up-to-date research on the business centre industry and how this could be facilitated.

Find Serviced Offices in Birmingham with serviced-offices.com! Check out our listings at http://www.serviced-offices.com/Birmingham/ or call 08081 788 659 for viewings and availability

Article Source: Orega PR