When a Tyneside facilities management company with a flourishing customer contact centre needed room for growth, it turned to the benefits of shared office space to accommodate expansion.Ambitious small businesses have to be creative, smart and flexible to succeed, and the same can be said of their workspace requirements according to Neil Wilson, who runs his fast growing Gateshead-based First Contact branded businesses from serviced office suites owned and managed by The Office Co.
Neil has seen his commercial interests, which include the First Contact NE customer contact centre, grow rapidly since he established First Contact Management Ltd earlier in 2015 to provide facilities management services for Utilita Energy Ltd, Britain’s leading supplier of prepayment energy.
The move was the first time that the energy provider had an office facility outside of its Winchester headquarters and has enabled Neil to develop the scope of contract management work he now undertakes on behalf of Utilita, which involves managing 200 self-employed people providing customer sales and field services nationwide.
Now employing 30 human resources, sales and administrative support staff at Gateshead’s Metropolitan House, Neil’s initial requirement in building his business was for a cost-effective but highly flexible workspace solution that could support a growing and expanding operation.
“We needed good quality space that would accommodate our ambitious expansion plans but without all the associated costs and commitment involved in renting our own dedicated offices.
“The prospect of finding space can be a demanding and difficult process, and even harder to find something in an affordable price range that meets needs when budgets are under pressure and time is tight.
“The most practical, versatile and cost effective solution for us was to opt for managed and serviced office accommodation provided by The Office Co.
The Office Co. recognises that one size doesn’t fit all and that the way to growth for its clients is to provide quality managed and serviced office accommodation built around flexible all-inclusive rents and the core values of a community driven business environment.
This approach is reflected at Metropolitan House where a shared office allows tenants, who are mostly similar in size and scale, to co-habit and cooperate under the same roof at a lower cost than that of a traditional office lease, and on very flexible terms.
Neil Wilson and his team at First Contact also benefits from communal facilities that include the latest superfast wireless broadband services and readily available conference room and training facilities. They can also take advantage of a shared reception, which provides a tailored service on their behalf that includes handling all inbound calls and deliveries.
So successful has the managed and serviced accommodation route been for First Contact, that it now occupies seven offices totally 1,806 sq. ft. following strong growth in the last two years and the customer contact centre coming on stream at the start of 2015.
“This community-based, almost homely, office space can be an inspiring, creative hub, providing a stimulating environment that enables intellectual ideas, ambition and, of course, our business growth to flourish,” said Neil Wilson.
“I’ve not found a better or more cost effective service anywhere else in the North East than the one provided The Office Co and its skilled and responsive team.
“Owner Lynn Gate and her daughter Rebekah are professional in their approach, while the package of support along with the other added value services, are important reasons why we are very happy to remain here and build on the successes to date.
The flexible, value-for-money lease arrangements provided by The Office Co. are aligned with First Contact’s future plans, in particular the expansion of the workforce as the contact centre gears-up its activity at Metropolitan House over the next 12 months.
“2016 will be an extremely busy year for us as we go for continued strong growth, particularly around our contact centre operation. The capacity for additional flexible office space will be critical in helping us to achieve this, and I can think of no where better that will provide this than Metropolitan House.”
The Office Co. offers a range of serviced and managed offices, virtual offices and meeting rooms for a wide range of businesses. Contact Rebekah Milne, sales and marketing director at rebekah@theofficeco.co.ukWebsite http://www.theofficeco.co.uk
