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The size and commitment of businesses entering serviced office space in the South West increased during January 2010, exceeding the levels recorded nationally during the same period.

An online video tour has been added to the officebroker.com website for a serviced office property in Manchester, located close to the popular Trafford Centre in the area of Stretford.

The business centre offers a range of serviced offices in a modern working environment, complete with a number of facilities including fully furnished suites, meeting rooms, video conferencing equipment, broadband internet access, a staffed reception, on site car parking and more.

Are you putting in too much overtime? Is the office starting to feel like a second home? Now is the time to take hold of the situation and get your work/life balance back in order. Today - Friday 26th February - is the annual 'Work Your Proper Hours Day'.

The event is organised by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), and the campaign is being marked by the efforts of Professor Samuel Aryee, director of the research degrees programme at Aston Business School and an expert in organisational behaviour and human resource management. He has called for businesses to introduce proper policies that ensure staff have a sensible work/life balance.

The average price per workstation in Birmingham dropped to £218.00 in the opening month of 2010, a figure which represents the lowest point in 11 months according to our statistics here at officebroker.com.

The BBC's development of their offices in Salford, at the acclaimed new MediaCityUK facility, is expected to be completed around £76m under budget.

Five departments from the BBC are moving to the new site in 2011, including Radio 5 Live, BBC Sport and the Children's division. The move will see around 2,500 jobs being transferred to the new location.

The cost per workstation in Central London’s serviced office market increased substantially during January – recording its highest level in over 12 months with a cost per workstation of £978.00 being recorded in SW1.

Development is expected to be restarted soon on the London skyscraper known as the Walkie Talkie tower, located in the capital's prime financial district, in response to a shortage of office space.

The project was postponed in 2008, but is now expected to be restarted as developers are looking to react to a looming shortage of office space in the City, and are taking advantage of cheaper construction costs.

Prominent UK serviced office provider Abbey Business Centres has agreed a two-year deal with Sky News, who have taken 1,250 sq ft of space in the City of London, in the landmark 'Gherkin' office building - formally known as 30 St Mary Axe.

As previously reported on our blog, the agreement provides studio space for the business news programme 'Jeff Randall Live', which premiered this week on Monday 22nd February.

In our series of 'Focus On' blog posts, we introduce a relatively new member of the officebroker.com team, Simon Jones...

Simon Jones joined the officebroker.com Marketing team in December 2009, in the newly created position of PR Executive, and is based at the company's UK headquarters in Tamworth, Staffordshire.

Here's a refreshing way to motivate your staff force - create an office garden! A growing number of businesses around the UK are making way for courtyard and roof gardens, both as part of an effort to be 'green', and to provide an attractive space for lunch breaks and meetings.

Now, office gardens are being praised for their ability to help boost motivation among staff, leading to a happier workforce and an increase in productivity. Vegetables and fruit grown in the garden are also winding up in staff lunchboxes - adding a fun and healthy element into the mix.

A leading UK serviced office provider has recently acquired space in the City of London, on Fetter Lane, and have confirmed plans to open a new business centre at the location by September 2010.

This latest property means that serviced office provider Avanta now have a total of 14 business centres in central London, and 19 throughout the UK. Following a full re-fit, the new addition will provide up to 19,000 sq ft of office space in the City, along with meeting, training and conference rooms. A virtual office service will also be available for businesses that don't require a physical presence at the property.

The most expensive locations in which to become a tenant in serviced offices in January have been revealed by UK broker, officebroker.com.

The number of enquiries and tenants rose in Scotland during January 2010 providing a ray of light for a possible revival in the SME sector.

The serviced office market, which has traditionally been a fertile ground for SME and entrepreneurial growth, had suffered in Scotland throughout 2009. During this period tenancy levels fell by an average of 13.5% quarter on quarter and enquiry levels showed a similar decline.

A serviced office property in Liverpool now benefits from an online video tour, which has been added to the business centre listing on officebroker.com.

This high-rise property is located a few miles outside of Liverpool city centre on Old Hall Street, close to the waterside, and is within walking distance of Moorfields Train Station.

As part of our continued drive to help business find office space anywhere across the globe, here at officebroker.com we have just added a business centre in Uganda to our website.

The property is based in the centre of Kampala and is the first of its kind to be introduced in the country of Uganda.

The final instalments of the officebroker.com Serviced Office Review series have now been added to the website.

Covering the serviced office market in the East and South West regions of the UK, they form part 12 regional insights, providing information on lettings, enquiries, workstation sizes and other information on the serviced office market.

A business centre in Bristol offering serviced offices, which is listed on the officebroker.com website, now benefits from an online video tour to help businesses get an in-depth view of the office facilities, prior to arranging a personal tour.

As shown in the video the property, which is located in the heart of central Bristol's commercial sector, is a modern structure based on the popular and bustling Queens Road.

Plans for the construction of a BREEAM 'Excellent' office property in the West Midlands, based at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, have recently been approved by Warwick District Council.

The plans were submitted by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), and include the construction of a single storey 37,000 sq foot building that has been designed to meet the BREEAM standard of excellence for eco-friendly construction.

A Leeds-based retailer of office supplies and furniture has recently entered the market, bringing with it a user-friendly and fully transactional website, and a practical leasing solution to help cash-strapped businesses afford quality office supplies.

The Office Supplies Supermarket specialise in all manners of office supplies - from office stationery and furniture right through to paper, printer supplies and even coffee for the office kitchen.

Those offering office properties with serviced office space in the South East and North East regions of the UK can now access the serviced office review series from officebroker.com, the UK’s biggest, independent broker of serviced offices to businesses.

The Business Centre Association's (BCA) latest Midlands meeting took place this week, which was hosted at Orega's serviced office location at Colmore Plaza, central Birmingham.

officebroker.com MD and joint founder Jim Venables attended the event, which was introduced by BCA executive director Jennifer Brooke. The day followed an informative programme of speakers and panellists, and was attended by over 40 people from the business centre industry.

Within the serviced office reports produced by officebroker.com, providers and tenants alike are provided with an overview of market during the closing stages of 2009, highlighting the impact on letting enquiry levels, tenancy levels, license lengths and the costs of taking office space during this period throughout the UK.

An attractive period office property in Mayfair, which is listed on the officebroker.com serviced office website, has recently undergone a web profile update with a number of new photos added.

The business centre is available to rent through one of the UK's leading office providers, and as a result, there are an excellent range of services on offer for businesses seeking flexible office space to rent. Facilities such as meeting rooms with video conferencing facilities and fully furnished office suites, and prime services including a staffed reception and admin support are available.

In the latest release from its Serviced Office Review Series, officebroker.com has posted insights into the serviced office markets in Scotland and Wales.

The reports, which are compiled using internal data, provide an insight for both providers and tenants into the many factors and trends affecting letting levels in serviced business centres in both regions/

Asbestos, known as the 'hidden killer', is a natural material that was traditionally used as a building material in the UK from the 1950s through to the mid-1980s. But in recent years, research has shown that the product can have serious and even lethal health risks.

Asbestos has been used for a variety of purposes in the past. Its resistant to heat, fire, electricity and chemicals made it ideal for fireproofing and insulation. Asbestos materials in good condition are safe unless the fibres become airborne, which happens when materials are damaged. However, in this state the product can be lethal - current statistics show that each week, approximately 20 tradespeople die from the 'hidden killer'.

The officebroker.com profile of an impressive 5-storey office property based in the City of London now benefits from an online video tour.

This attractive character building occupies a prime location in the heart of the City, based on bustling Watling Street - just a few minutes from the tube stops of Mansion House, Cannon Street and Blackfriars stations. The video includes coverage of the exterior of the property, including the nearby surroundings which include an abundance of local cafes, restaurants and retail outlets.

Fenns, an office supplies firm that has been based in the same premises in Stoke-on-Trent since 1875, is set to leave its location after 135 years. The firm is due to move into bigger workspace at Riverside Park, Stoke-on-Trent.

The company was established in 1875 under the trading name of John George Fenn, mainly as a printer. The firm soon moved into wider markets and is now one of the UK's largest independent office products supplier.

Regent Street, one of central London's most prominent and well-known locations, could soon be owned by foreign investors if plans drawn up by The Crown Estate - the Queen's property company - are brought to fruition.

In order to fund development plans for the area, chief executive of the Crown Estate Roger Bright told The Daily Telegraph that they are reportedly looking into a "number of possibilities" - along with some "radical options".

Owners and tenants of serviced office buildings throughout the North West have been handed a valuable market insight from officebroker.com, the UK’s leading broker of serviced office space, with the release of their new Serviced Office Review.

Other quarterly reports in the series include, Central London, Greater London, the west Midlands as well as annual nationwide review covering the entirety of 2009 compared to 2008.

A newly refurbished office has recently been opened in Soho, in the popular media district of central London.

The offices are located on the first floor of National House based on Wardour Street, in the W1 region of the capital, and offer a total of 2,695 sq ft of office space.

The latest instalment of our Serviced Office Review series has just been made available from our website.

Within the report readers will find details on enquiry and letting levels, office space costs as well as trends in workstation sizes and license lengths.

Astle House, a historic building in West Bromwich dating back to 1883, is due to be sold by auction on March 4th, with a guide price of over £550,000.

Formerly the offices of printing and publishing firm Kenrick & Jefferson, the property is an attractive Grade II listed building with more than 10,000 sq ft of office space. The auction is being held by Bigwood and will take place at Villa Park’s Holte Suite.

The Serviced Office Review: Greater London 2009 is now available to download from officebroker.com.

Utilising statistics for Q4 09 from officebroker.com, the UK’s leading independent broker of serviced office space, along with external reports the review presents findings on activity in the serviced office industry during Q4 09 and compares it to the data recorded in Q4 08

An office property based in the Cheshire town of Bollington, north Macclesfield, has recently had an online video tour added to its officebroker.com website profile.

The offices are available on flexible, serviced terms, and are located within an attractive Grade II listed mill building on the banks of the Macclesfield Canal. The building is based in Bollington, which is a striking town with an interesting history steeped in industrialisation. This particular property was once a thriving cotton mill, similar to several others in the area which typically date back to the mid 18th century.

The online profile of a serviced office centre in the City of London, based at the site of the old London Stock Exchange, has been updated with photographs highlighting the professional features and stylish décor of the centre.

As reported on our News pages last year, the business centre is highly regarded in the serviced office industry. The glass-clad building offers an excellent location in the heart of London's financial district. It is a landmark structure that projects a professional image, and having been recently refurbished, it also offers modern state-of-the-art facilities and the latest in IT and telecoms.

A serviced office property in Southwark, central London, has recently been added to the online office database at officebroker.com.

The offices are available exclusively for charities and social organisations, and occupy an excellent location based in Southwark in the heart of London. There are a number of transport links nearby, including Waterloo International train station and the tube stops of Southwark and Borough.

officebroker.com is pleased to announce that the Serviced Office Review: Central London Q4 09 is now available to download.

The first annual review of the serviced office industry has today been launched by officebroker.com.

This national review of the serviced office space industry, comparing activity between 2009 and 2008, gives an insight into both the state of the serviced office industry and the business trends of the SME’s that call it home.

A leading UK serviced office provider is set to launch a new serviced office business centre in Paddington, which will be the latest addition to the Central London serviced office market.

Located within a glass-walled landmark building just yards from Paddington Station, the centre is based on the fourth floor of the property and is currently undergoing a full re-fit. It is due to be open in April 2010.

A serviced office property located at MediaCityUK, Salford Quays' acclaimed new media district, has recently updated their officebroker.com profile.

The serviced offices are situated on the ground floor of a bronze glazed building, one of the Quays' most prominent landmarks, which boasts an impressive marble clad atrium, complete with tropical plants and water feature.

officebroker.com's Asia Pacific HQ, which is headed up by Paul Miller and based in Perth, Western Australia, has enjoyed a steady growth rate since the operation was launched early last year.

The continued success of officebroker.com's Asia Pac headquarters has now been marked by expansion, and the addition of a new member of the team - Account Manager Lina Galluzzi.

An office property in Swindon has recently featured in an online video tour. The coverage has then been produced and published on the building's office listing on officebroker.com, allowing potential clients to gain a more informed view of the property prior to arranging a personal office tour.

As with all officebroker.com online video tours, the coverage lasts between one and two minutes and includes the key features of the property, along with essential factors such as local transport, reception facilities and typical office layouts.

Commercial property group Bruntwood has agreed lettings for four businesses - HH Law, iProgress, Medicals Direct and MJP Justice - who have signed for office space at the Cotton Exchange, a Grade II listed building in Liverpool's commercial district.

The agreement totals 6,100 sq ft and covers a number of requirements. For example, Medicals Direct, a health service provider in the insurance sector, has agreed 1,000 sq ft office on the building's fifth floor, while HH Law has signed a three-year lease on a 700 sq ft refurbished office.

Elizabeth House, a landmark building in central Manchester's St Peter's Square, is set to undergo a £50m redevelopment following the approval of city councillors this week.

The site was previously home to the Dutch Pancake Company. The new scheme has been designed by Glenn Howells Architects and is set to introduce 22,500 sq ft of office space within the 270,000 sq ft building, which is more than twice the size of the original Elizabeth House.

Ashwan and Petra Chander, owners of a historic serviced office property in Nottingham that was formerly an 1850s lace factory, are continuing their quest to fully restore the property, and to finish opening up a series of tunnels that have been discovered during renovation.

Previously owned by businessman Sir James Oldknow during the 19th century, the former factory was originally used for the production of lace - the fabric Nottingham was famous for - and parts of the building have now been fully restored and are in use as serviced office and studio space.

Spearheaded by companies such as Regus and MWB, the serviced office market is a crucible for start-up businesses and SME’s, who are often touted as the driving forces for future innovation and the breeding ground for the business giants of tomorrow.

To provide an insight into this multimillion pound industry officebroker.com will this month launch a series of regular regional & national reviews.

MajesticSEO, a technology firm based at Birmingham Science Park Aston and owned by Majestic-12 Ltd, has gained an investment partner in the form of Dutch company Rene van Mullem.

MajesticSEO is a search engine solution that has created an independent map of the way pages link to each other on the web, using distributed crawlers run by hundreds of PCs around the world to produce a database of links, known as a web graph.

An office property in London's West End, located on Mortimer Street in the heart of Noho, is in the process of having its officebroker.com profile updated with new photos.

The offices are located within an attractive and imposing period building, based on the corner of Mortimer Street and Great Titchfield Street. The new photos, as shown below, include an exterior shot of the property and a number of interior images, including shots of the meeting rooms, informal break-out zones and the reception area.

TWO new serviced offices have become available to rent in Leicestershire having been added to the officebroker.com portfolio.

Both located in the LE67 area, they offer excellent access to the regions motorway network and fall within easy reach of Birmingham International Airport and East Midlands Airport.

The cost of serviced office space throughout the North East fell to record lows during the first month of 2010, leading to a substantial increase in the length of licenses being signed by tenants as they seemingly looked to capitalise according to officebroker.com statistics.

As if in response to these price decreases, those serviced office tenants entering the market during this period have driven a noticeable increase in the length of the initial licenses being signed. Rising from 7 months in Q4 09 (And 6 months during 2009 as a whole) to an average of 12 months during January 2010.

The former Lycast Foundry Works, which ceased operations in 2006, located in South Yorkshire has been given the green by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council light to be redeveloped into a mixed use scheme featuring 37,500 sq ft of office space.

According to research carried out by Santander, the parent company of the Alliance & Leicester banking brand, questioning small business owners about how they had coped with the impact of recession in 2009, staff pay freezes seem to have been a dominant feature with only 19% of business owners declaring that they had not found it necessary to make any cuts during this period.

The cost of renting serviced office space in Central London has increased substantially during the first part of 2010, rising by +34% by the end of January according to our statistics here at officebroker.com.

This noticeable leap in the levels of rent being commanded for serviced office space, while positive for those operating commercial business centres such as Regus and MWB, would suggest that the buyer lead market of 2009 may now be shifting the power back to the serviced office providers.

A historic building located on the prestigious Harley Street in London W1 has been put on the market by The Crown Estates.

The building, which first became part of The Crown Estates 470 years ago when Henry VIII carried out the Act of Supremacy, breaking away from the Church of Rome and establishing Henry as the head of the Church of England and lead to the dissolution of the monasteries.

A £165m redevelopment plan that will turn the historic factory once home to Terry’s chocolate into the heart of a new community has been approved.

The site, which is located alongside York Racecourse and once produced iconic brands such as Terry’s Chocolate Orange and All Gold, will become home to two hotels, offices space, restaurants, a care home as well as a variety of shops and residential houses, apartments and affordable accommodation.

According to a report in the the Yorkshire Evening Post, Wilton Developments, a Harrogate based property developer, has received planning permission for a new office scheme in Leeds city centre.

As part of a re-development scheme, 10 South Parade will provide 36,000 sq ft of high quality, Grade A office space and provide an injection of confidence and quality to the commercial heart of the city.

Enterprise experts at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) have pointed toward flexibility in costs as an important factor for West Midland businesses hoping to benefit from the upturn in market conditions.

An increasingly popular way of achieving this is through the use of Serviced Offices. Not only do serviced office buildings offer a great range of locations for businesses to trade from, but they also offer a cost effective, flexible setup which can be the perfect way of freeing up their finances and allowing businesses to respond more effectively in these challenging times.

As more and more businesses begin to spread their wings as the recession finally falls away – serviced office space continues to appeal as yet another expanding company chooses it as the right option to fulfil their business needs.

The latest comes in the shape of Falling Pixel, who already operate successful offices in London and Colwyn Bay, as they secure serviced office space in the heart of Manchester city centre.

A newly refurbished office building, offering serviced office space in London W5, has been added to the officebroker.com portfolio. This latest edition to the extensive range of serviced office space being offered throughout Central and Greater London has great access to the tube network and is serviced by a variety of shops, restaurants and bars that are perfect for lunch breaks and after work.

This is a newly refurbished building boasts a range of character features and offers a professional, pleasant working atmosphere. Within the building there are a variety of offices available which are aimed to accommodate a full range of business needs and are all available on convenient flexible contracts.

Chris Meredith, who is Head of UK Sales for serviced office space specialists officebroker.com , stepped away from the world of service offices on Sunday 31st January to endure the annual Tough Guy challenge which pushes entrants to their physical and mental limits.

The challenge, which is far removed from his day job overseeing the sales department of the largest office broker in the UK, began for Chris when his brother Sean entered him as a birthday present. Not only did this offer Chris the memory (and possible the scars) of a lifetime but also the chance to support the “Funds for Heroes” charity central to this long-running event.

Sheffield’s rising commercial fortunes have resulted in a major refurbishment plan for one of the city’s most prestigious city centre office buildings.

Fortune Precinct, which houses a total of 112,000 square feet of office space and was first built in the 1970’s, will be at the centre of the proposed scheme. The scheme will provide Fortune Precinct with an extended reception area as well as an additional entrance on to Barkers Pool near the Orchard Square Shopping Centre.

officebroker.com has added to its range of serviced offices in Central London with Kingdom Street in W2.

This great business centre is located in the highly-popular Paddington area of London and is easily accessible via the A40 Westway and within a few miles of the M40 and M25 Motorways and is serviced by a wonderful selection of restaurants, café, bars and hotels.

The team of a Central Glasgow business centre, owned by Abbey Offices, have been inspired by the sight of survivors still being pulled from the wreakage of the recent earthquake in Haiti to arrange some shelp of their own.

John Nixon, Centre Manager for Glasgow Central, is delighted with the efforts of his team “All members of my team dug deep into their pockets to donate the prizes and I hope our contribution can go some way to helping the plight of the Haitian people in their hour of need”