Business Manchester | Manchester's Leading Business Online Magazine

New barbers to open in Altrincham

Property

Sam Whitear

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10/11/2020

The former Aberkhan unit in Altrincham’s premier shopping location at 112 George Street, has been let to Beards & Brows.

The self-contained unit comprising 3,970 sq ft at has been taken on a 10 year lease.

Beards & Brows, will be offering a new social beauty experience over three floors when it opens in early 2021.

Daniel Lee, director, Regional Property Solutions, who acted on behalf of the landlord, Property Investment London Ltd, said: “We were instructed in to let this unit in the early stage of lockdown and within four weeks it was under offer and solicitors instructed. At the time it was certainly against the trend but demonstrates the positive attitude and demand for retail and leisure outlets at realistic market rents around Altrincham town centre, which is certainly benefitting from the current desire to shop local”.

IGF bolsters its northern team to meet a growing ABL demand

Thought Leaders

Sam Whitear

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10/11/2020

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IGF bolsters its northern team to meet a growing ABL demand

After experiencing four consecutive years of growth in the north, Independent Growth Finance (IGF) made the move to bolster its team in the region. The company highlighted the growing asset based lending (ABL) demand in Manchester as a key driver. The market in the region is estimated to be in excess of £300 million per year.

In the last three years, the leading independent lender has supported businesses with £345 million of funding, with a quarter of the deals occurring in the North. During the initial COVID-19 lockdown, the CBILS-accredited lender provided over £11m in facilities to SMEs in the region with a well-developed pipeline to follow In the remainder of 2020 and beyond.

IGF recently appointed Adam Bradbury as ABL Director, to work alongside Richard Spielbichler to support businesses inManchester and the wider north west region. The five strong team in the north is supported by Client Manager Miles Burgess and Senior Client Director Jim Millar who bringsover 30 years of ABL experience to the team.

Matthew Shepherd, commercial director at IGF, added: “There is a strong demand for ABL funding in the north amongst commercial mid-market businesses. These businesses with a turnover ranging from £5m-£100m are oftenfrustrated by traditional lenders. ABL presents an opportunity for them to unlock the value tied up in a variety of assets. Our goal is to continue supporting entrepreneurial businesses during this time and ensure they are getting the funding needed to continue reaching growth aspirations.”

Safeguarding businesses in 2021

Businesses in the north have stayed resilient through theCOVID pandemic. Taking proactive measures to safeguard and survive. Although this period has offered its fair share of challenges there have also been opportunities for businessesthat have been able to adapt. In May earlier this year, one of IGF’s clients Stan Chem International pivoted its service offering to provide hand sanitiser to key essential workers.The funding provided by IGF allowed the business the flexibility to act on this opportunity. Within one week, the company had produced its first hand sanitisers and within four weeks, half a million bottles were distributed to customers.The company has expanded its product line portfolio as a result of the pandemic and will look to continue offering the range long-term.

Shepherd adds, “Businesses were forced to get creative this year. They had to shift service offerings, production timelines, budgets and financial forecasts. But one thing they’ve all stuck to is their drive to say resilient.”

Last year, IGF launched its Powering Freedom Report, which found that Manchester businesses were looking to secure £130,000 more in funds compared to London. This year the asset based lender is determined to demonstrate how they can support these aspirations with ABL. Asset based lending is secured against receivables, inventory, plant & machinery and property allowing businesses to unlock the funding tied up in assets.

Banc Strengthens Client Services Team with Two New Hires.

Appointments

Sam Whitear

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10/11/2020

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Banc Strengthens Client Services Team with Two New Hires.

Manchester-based Digital Marketing agency, Banc, have continued their expansion by announcing two new hires to the Client Services team.

Client Services Director, Antony Simon said “As Banc continues to grow, the need for experienced client handlers becomes increasingly important. We don’t just strive to produce the best results possible, but to do so with a level of service that meets and exceeds our client’s expectations. The recruitment process is never easy though. We had several high-quality applications, with Helen and Lauren really standing out. It’s great to have them both on board and our clients are already benefiting from their skill & experience”

Taking on the role of Digital Account Manager is Helen Adams who joined Banc in March 2020. Helen previously worked at Accord Marketing, managing key accounts over a three year period in both London and Manchester offices. Helen achieved a First Class Media degree at Goldsmiths, and has subsequently accumulated over six years of marketing experience across all sectors in both full service, and digital agencies.

Helen said ‘Starting a job in this age of Zoom planted a doubt that I may struggle with connecting to my new colleagues or with grasping internal processes. I’m such a sociable person! It has truly been the opposite – I can’t say a bad word about a single member of the Banc team all of which have been incredibly helpful. The systemic protocol at Banc is professional, sensible and seamless and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for my role and of course Banc.

Lauren O’Brien is taking over the Senior Account Executive role. She joined Banc in March 2020, having previously worked at The Hut Group, Siemens and Capital Properties. Each role Lauren has held, including her placement from university, has been in marketing. She has now accumulated 8 years of marketing experience.

Lauren said “I have found Banc to be hugely supportive and welcoming, during the difficult time of the pandemic. I have worked from home throughout my time with Banc and I have found the team totally committed to delivering excellence and great service for our clients”.

SME manufacturers in Greater Manchester to fast track their organisations with new skills, adoption and acceleration

Business support

Sam Whitear

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10/11/2020

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SME manufacturers in Greater Manchester to fast track their organisations with new skills, adoption and acceleration

SME manufacturers in Greater Manchester are to pioneer an innovative, high impact programme designed to upskill their workforces to accelerate the adoption and application of additive manufacturing (AM).

They are part of the Fast Track Additive Manufacturing – Upskilling the Workforce programme, run in collaboration with the Made Smarter North West adoption pilot, which connects the region’s manufacturers to digital tools, leadership and skills to drive growth, Manchester Metropolitan University’s PrintCity, and Fabricon Design Ltd, a business specialising in advanced manufacturing methods based in Ashton-under-Lyne.

Businesses will embark on a 12-day programme which aims to give participants a solid grounding in all aspects of AM, from understanding the entire digital workflow end-to-end, including the software and hardware, to the range of materials that can be used to create products or parts, and post-processing skills.

Companies participating in the programme include: Rotite Technologies (Old Trafford), Visual Architects (Hyde), MSM aerospace fabricators (Middleton), Arden Dies (Stockport), Electro-Mechanical Installations (Stockport), Embossing Rollers (Heywood), Fabricon Design (Ashton-under-Lyne), M&I Materials (Stretford), Rawwater Engineering Company (Manchester), and BEP Surface Technologies (Radcliffe).

The flexible, modular training will run from November to February 2021 and is designed to fit around work schedules.

The blended learning approach will include online workshops and in-person site visits to Fabricon Design’s facility in Ashton-under-Lyne and STFC Daresbury. There are also onsite sessions at PrintCity, a 3D additive and digital manufacturing hub at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Workshops include: rapid prototyping, parametric modelling, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), AM polymer and part consolidation, generative design. There will be software tutorials in CAD CAM, Fusion 360, Eiger, Cura and PreForm, and an exploration of career opportunities and the future of AM.

Rotite Technologies, based in Manchester, designs bespoke fastening solutions.
Connor Whyley, Design Manager, said: “Additive manufacturing will enable us to test and trial our own product designs at relatively low cost and low risk, and dramatically shorten the time from ideation to release.
“We will be able to use it to further explore the opportunities of mass customisation and personalisation.”
“The Fast Track programme will improve our knowledge and skills to support these plans.
“For a small business the flexibility of the programme is a key benefit and will allow us to drive the business forward while taking advantage of the most up to date expertise in the field.”

The Fast Track Additive Manufacturing programme has been funded by from the £3m Fast Track Digital Workforce Fund, a joint venture between Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and the Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership to address the digital skills gaps across Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

The programme supports the need for relevant and easily digestible training for upskilling and reskilling SMEs, one of the key recommendations of the Made Smarter Review, the independent review of industrial digitalisation.

Ruth Hailwood, Made Smarter’s specialist organisational and workforce development adviser, said: “This pioneering programme is designed to provide businesses with the skills required to understand what AM technology they should invest in, why they should invest, how they design products for AM and operate the machines, and what benefits they can expect once they have successfully adopted AM. Businesses will provide real world examples as training material so that the course will address their specific skills gaps.”

“Working in collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University’s PrintCity and Fabricon Design, we have designed a programme which aims to be high impact and flexible to enable additive manufacturing techniques and the associated design and post-processing skills to be implemented relatively quickly to accelerate productivity improvements within existing operations and develop new products and new markets.”

Mark Bushdyhan, Managing Director of Fabricon Design, based in Hyde, said: “Fabricon Design will be providing real world engineering challenges so students can see how we are using additive manufacturing alongside other manufacturing techniques.

“We will be showing students how we use a range of CAD software, additive manufacturing technologies, and worked examples of how Fusion360 optimises design. The students will also spend a day at our manufacturing facility experiencing production from concept, prototype to full scale manufacture.”

Alan Dempsey, Project Manager for PrintCity, said: “Businesses across the region are actively exploiting the opportunities presented by AM now more than ever. Many companies have had their businesses disrupted by COVID-19 which has affected staffing, sales, manufacturing and effects on their supply chain.

“Some companies have used this time to rethink their business model and supply chain, deciding to innovate their traditional workflows with AM and converging design and manufacturing of their products in-house. However, many businesses, particularly SMEs, don’t currently have the skills to leverage the benefits of AM. This programme will provide a solid foundation for participants to integrate AM, boosting productivity and growth within their company.”

Additive manufacturing is one of the key enablers of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, presenting an opportunity to radically transform the industry by changing the limits of what can be physically and economically produced.

The Made Smarter Review found that the UK is among the world’s leaders in the research, innovation and adoption of AM technology for high-performance applications in medicine, aerospace and other industry sectors. However, SMEs lack the awareness, resources or confidence to adopt AM as an integral part of their manufacturing toolkit.*

Sale Sharks appoint new Chief Executive Officer

Appointments

Sam Whitear

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10/11/2020

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Sale Sharks appoint new Chief Executive Officer

Sharks announce the appointment of new CEO, Sid Sutton, who joins to head up the club

Premiership Rugby side Sale Sharks has announced the appointment of Sid Sutton as the club’s new Chief Executive Officer.

He joins the role with a vast amount of business experience, from working board level at a top FTSE 100 company to running his own company.

The 46-year old has also been on the Sale Sharks board for the last two years and has worked closely with Sale Sharks co-owner, Simon Orange, for the last seven years.

Some of his key priorities will be to oversee the effective delivery of Sale’s off-field operations, including commercial activities, partnerships and growing the Sale Sharks brand nationally and internationally.

He will also play a lead role in further enhancing the working culture at the club, taking on responsibility for more than 120 employees.

The appointment has also been made to allow the club’s Director of Rugby, Steve Diamond, to focus more time on activities on the pitch for the club, which picked up its first piece of silverware in 14 years with the Premiership Rugby Cup and only narrowly missed out on a top four finish in last season’s Premiership.

Sid said: “I’m honoured to have been appointed to this new position at such an important time for Sale Sharks. There’s a fantastic group of people that make this great club what it is, and that was one of the big attractions when it came to me taking on this role.

“I’m looking forward to building on a strong foundation of success the club has seen this year, both on and off the pitch. The opportunity to grow our fan base and add to the passionate fans we already have is very exciting.

“As a club, we’re fully aware of the unique times we find ourselves in, so building on the strong and progressive working culture for all of our staff will also be a big priority for us as we aim to push on again in 2021 and beyond.”

Sale Sharks co-owner, Simon Orange, added: “I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside Sid for the last seven years, so I know he brings a wealth of experience to the club and will be able to use that to help shape our future growth.

“We’ve worked hard to assemble a world-class squad in recent years, and we want to build on the recent Premiership Rugby Cup success and achieve even more over the next few years.

“Steve Diamond has done a fantastic job for us juggling his on-field responsibilities with the operation of the club off the pitch, but the time is right for us to make this appointment and allow him to focus all of his energy on driving the team forward again.

“I’m confident that under Sid’s leadership, everyone involved with Sale Sharks – from players to backroom staff, and employees to commercial partners – will be able to work even closer together to achieve great things for the future.”

VISUALSOFT SECURES MAJOR LIVINGBRIDGE INVESTMENT

Sam Whitear

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10/11/2020

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VISUALSOFT SECURES MAJOR LIVINGBRIDGE INVESTMENT

Specialist eCommerce platform provider and digital marketing consultancy, Visualsoft, has secured a substantial investment from Livingbridge, one of the UK’s leading mid-market private equity investors.

The deal will fund the continued expansion and innovation of Visualsoft’s successful eCommerce platform, which is on course to deliver a billion pounds of client revenue by the end of this year, with platform revenue also up 31% year-on-year in Q3.

Visualsoft, founded in Teesside in 1998, now employs over 280 people with additional offices in Newcastle, Manchester and Dubai. It serves over 1,000 retail businesses.

For the past 22 years, the company has been developing industry-leading eCommerce services, having continually built upon its innovative eCommerce platform to ensure that it remains at the forefront of the industry. It also offers retail partners a ground-breaking ‘shared success’ model, removing many of the upfront set-up costs and linking its fees to the actual sales and revenue generated for clients.

More recently, Visualsoft has also launched its Visualsoft Partners offering – a partnership programme designed to empower solutions providers to grow their business, build their network and increase the revenue of the retailers they work with. Alongside this, the business has also launched Visualsoft Partner Connect, which is an online directory that allows retailers to find new partners quickly and easily, all in one place.

Dean Benson, CEO at Visualsoft, said: “Over the past two decades Visualsoft’s world class technology and passion for innovation has consistently disrupted the eCommerce landscape. I am delighted to have partnered with Livingbridge and we will now work in collaboration to further accelerate growth and strengthen our position as an industry leader.

“This growth will also see our continued commitment to developing strong digital skills within our regions and forming strong and lasting partnerships with other businesses and specialists within the digital sector though the Visualsoft Partners programme.”

Mark Advani at Livingbridge, said: “Visualsoft provides a functionally rich, high service e-commerce platform solution to its customers. It is ideally positioned to capitalise on the accelerated shift to online retail and the rise in independent retailers and progressive brands. We are excited by the prospect of working closely with Dean Benson and the management team to help Visualsoft serve more brands and retailers – both directly and through its expanding network of channel partners.”

The investment, made through Livingbridge’s Enterprise 3 fund, builds on Livingbridge’s experience with technology businesses, having already invested in TitanHQ earlier this year.

The principal advisors on this investment for Livingbridge included PwC and Eversheds. The vendors were advised by KPMG, Endeavour Partnership and Deloitte.

Rod Wilkinson, who leads KPMG’s Corporate Finance team in Newcastle, said: “This is an exciting business which is successfully supporting its clients in growing their online sales; a trend that’s only going to persist as the shift in consumer behaviour since the first lockdown, will continue to favour online shopping. The deal is the latest indicator of the appetite from investors for tech-enabled businesses, which are driving economic growth.”

New digital partnership launched to help shipowners beat looming Inventory of Hazardous Materials deadline

Partnerships

Sam Whitear

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10/11/2020

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New digital partnership launched to help shipowners beat looming Inventory of Hazardous Materials deadline

Manchester-based maritime and offshore specialist IT firm SRO Solutions is launching a new partnership with international inspection agency SGS and maritime digitisation specialist NautilusLog to help shipowners meet this year’s Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) deadline, and manage ongoing IHM maintenance.

Owners of European-flagged vessels of 500 GT and over have until December 31, 2020 to create an IHM. In order to comply with the new EU-Ship Recycling Regulation, the presence of materials such as leaded paint and asbestos must be noted, along with its location on the ship and the volumes involved. An estimated 56,000 ships around the world will be covered by the new rules, including vessels from non-EU countries that call at EU ports.

SRO Solutions is teamed up with SGS and NautilusLog to simplify the next key step of the IHM process, supporting shipowners that use tech giant IBM’s Maximo asset management platform.

Joe Davies, a consultant at SRO, said its new ‘plug-and-play’ solution eases the burden of compliance on shipowners running Maximo by providing an automated, cost-effective way of connecting to NautilusLog, ensuring a complete and simple IHM maintenance solution. NautilusLog produces an App which supports crew at sea and their onshore management by tracking ships and automatically generating events and tasks.

Following an initial IHM survey, vessels must ensure they do not take any further banned materials on board, and that any permitted hazardous materials are correctly logged. Under the partnership agreement, SRO’s solution integrates all future procurement data into NautilusLog almost instantaneously. It allows SGS to review all purchase orders to identify banned substances and flag up anything that will contravene the regulations. If there is a change to the vessel, the inventory will update automatically, ensuring continued compliance and peace of mind for the business. An IHM covers the entire life cycle of the vessel, from construction, throughout its active service life, until dismantling.

Mr Davies said: “This new partnership between SRO Solutions, SGS and NautilusLog provides shipowners with a fast and efficient IHM maintenance process that seamlessly integrates with their current Maximo procurement platform.

“As far as the client is concerned this all happens in the background. Costs are also reduced as there is no need for a new procurement system in addition to Maximo. The integration software is already built so we can get a company’s Maximo platform talking to NautilusLog in a matter of days. With the deadline for compliance approaching fast, saving a client weeks of work at this stage could well prove crucial.”

Liam Phelan from NautilusLog said: “We are excited about this partnership as it allows even more clients to simplify the automatisation of their IHM maintenance process and easily become compliant, removing unnecessary time, effort and cost on their side.”

Wouter Hagens, IHM expert at SGS, said: “Automation and expertise were at the heart of this collaboration, and we succeeded. Thanks to the years of expertise of SGS, NautilusLog’s user-friendly digital platform and SRO’s asset management solutions, we can now provide the maritime sector with optimum support in the maintenance of IHM.”

Ancoats’ Huckletree continues growth streak as Regital takes new workspace at co-working space

Property

Sam Whitear

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10/11/2020

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Ancoats’ Huckletree continues growth streak as Regital takes new workspace at co-working space

Programmatic marketing specialist Regital has taken an office at Ancoats-based Huckletree, following a period of planned and sustained growth. The deal was completed by OBI.

The firm was founded in 2011 by Ian and Michelle Vint and will be relocating to Huckletree from its current space in Conavon Court, Manchester city centre.
Carly Barnard, people director at Regital, said: “The idea of ‘the office’ has changed for us like many others. It’s no longer simply the place we go to work every day. We wanted a location to reflect the mix of office and home-working that we’re operating moving forward.

Flexibility is key, and Huckletree has the ideal balance. It’s a perfect fit for us as a business, and the team couldn’t be happier we’ve made it our new home”.
Imani Chimo, general manager at Huckletree, said: “Regital are a perfect curation fit for HKT Ancoats, their work to date, scope for growth and importantly their approach in building teams and tending to clients; mirrors all that Huckletree stands for. We are excited to scale alongside Regital; like us, they understand that there is no curfew on innovation!”

Debbie Meredith, transactions and asset management at OBI – who advised on the transaction – added: “Regital is a great fit for Huckletree, what with its sharp focus on culture and wellbeing as well as its digital-first offering. Huckletree’s creative and spacious environment makes it a vibrant place to inspire businesses to grow.

“Given the current pandemic, flexibility and agility are increasingly important as a number of businesses are continuing to assess how they work going forward and are choosing to incorporate an element of agile working into their real estate strategies. No capital upfront expenditure, transparency of costs and ease and speed into a new workspace are key benefits to these occupiers.
“Being a part of the Huckletree community and the amenity on offer to members is hugely attractive to the modern occupier. We anticipate continued growth in this sector for some time.”

Regital’s client roster includes global consumer brands such as New Balance, Rixo, Gymshark, Hoover and more.
Huckletree is based in Manchester’s iconic Express Building, the former headquarters of the Daily Express newspaper which was repurposed into pioneering office space in 2019.

Wittington Investments secured planning permission for the restoration of the grade II* listed building in early 2018 and OBI designed and project managed the works, with the building now boasting 77,500 sq ft of contemporary workspace.
Restoration work inside the Express Building included the internal floors being stripped out, revealing the original architecture, with a new exposed M&E system installed throughout, finished to an occupancy level of 1:8 sq m.

The Express Building reception was redesigned to include a café and breakout space and, in the basement, wellbeing facilities with shower, changing and bicycle storage facilities, with new electric vehicle charging points also provided.

Innovative workspace accelerator Huckletree signed up to take over 25,000 sq. ft. of space at the building ahead of completion, with its vibrant fit-out quickly becoming one of the most recognisable in the city. The building can also accommodate conventional requirements from 8,000 sq ft up to 50,000 sq ft.
OBI’s building and workplace consultancy teams worked with Huckletree, founded in Clerkenwell in 2011, on its fit-out, bringing forward features including a 100-person event space which can also be used as a ‘live lounge’ for music, presentations, workshops and networking event.

Since completion, Huckletree has welcomed a number of Manchester’s exciting SMEs and start-ups to the fold, including Muscle Food, Engine Group, Stand for Socks, Money Giant and Pixel Kicks.

How to Deal with Unexpected Expenses During the Christmas Holidays

Sam Whitear

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06/11/2020

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How to Deal with Unexpected Expenses During the Christmas Holidays

The festive season is notorious for being an extremely expensive time of year. Even if you’ve scaled back on the number of people you purchase gifts for, it’s still going to be pricier than a typical month. Even the entertaining tends to add up since you’re purchasing extra food and drinks that you normally wouldn’t need. With that said, people often budget in advance to ensure they’ve got enough money to cover all these added costs. So, what happens if on top of the Christmasspending you’re suddenly faced with an unexpected expense?

Unexpected expenses are just that, unexpected. At the best of times they can be tricky to figure out and pay for, but during the Christmas holidays you’ve got all that extra money going out the door. So, how can you deal with unexpected expenses during the festive season without letting the stress get to you? Let’s take a look at some tips you can use.

Charge the Expense to a Credit Card If Possible

While racking up credit card debt is never a great plan, in some cases there is just no other option. Should this be the route you pick, you must create a budget wherein you can pay off the expense as soon as possible. This will prevent you from paying a fortune in interest charges.

If you don’t have enough space on your credit card to charge the expense, you can always call the credit card company and see if you qualify for a rate increase.

Look into Paying in Instalments

Depending on the expense itself, you may be able to pay it off in instalments. This can get you through the expensive holiday hump, and into the new year when your budget isn’t quite as tight. If you can pay in instalments, ask if you can pay it off in full at any point. This will give you the freedom to make extra payments and get it cleared that much faster.

Take Extra Hours at Work or Apply for a Temporary Part-Time Job

This probably isn’t the answer you may be looking for, but if you’re trying to cover the cost of an unexpected expense,extra income would certainly do the trick. If you work shifts, or you can take extra hours at work this is a great plan – just for the short-term.

If there is no availability of extra hours at work, you could look at a part-time gig or even freelance work just to act as that supplementary income to cover your expenses.

Direct Payday Loans – a Quick and Easy Short-Term Solution

One option that could prove to be useful is to look into a direct payday loan, such as what you’ll find through Pay Day UK. You can apply for anywhere between £50 to £5,000 and get an instant quote online without having to deal with a credit check and fees. If it’s a small loan, you can get the money as soon as the same-day.

Payday UK works with some of the top direct payday lenders in the UK, which means you’re going to get the best deal possible. These loans are ideal for those who only need to borrow for a short term and can pay back the full amount within the specified amount of time.

Sell Some Items Online to Make Extra Cash

It could be that you do in fact have enough money to cover the expense if you just sell off some items you no longer want or need. Take a look through your belongings – is there anything that is in good shape that you could part with? Thanks to the many online buy and sell groups, selling stuff has never been easier or quicker. That little extra cash could be all you need.

Cut Back on the Christmas Spending

Sure, it may not have been the plan to cut back on the Christmas spending, but now that you’ve got an unexpected expense to deal with, this may be the only viable option. That could mean spending less on each person, speaking to friends and family about skipping a gift exchange this year, or just cutting down on the amount of people you buy for.

Keep in mind that if you do any entertaining, the meals and drinks get pretty expensive too, so you could always change up how you entertain. Instead of hosting a meal, maybe you can just do appetisers and drinks. Another option is to make it like a pot luck dinner where everyone brings one dish.

Don’t Let the Stress of an Unexpected Expense Get to You

While unexpected expenses are never a welcome experience,it’s important to stay realistic and practical in that position. There are solutions, and there are ways to pay for it without letting the stress take over.

Boost for North West creatives as Department launches flexible access to studio and production facilities in Manchester city centre

Sam Whitear

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06/11/2020

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Boost for North West creatives as Department launches flexible access to studio and production facilities in Manchester city centre

The department store for business workplace concept is launching a single day rate giving creative, media, digital industries access to state-of-the-art facilities on a flexible basis

Department, the innovative managed workspace concept, is offering creative, media and digital companies access to its state-of-the-art studio, recording, production and editing facilities on a per day basis, in order to support businesses in the sector.

As the pandemic alters the business landscape, Department is aiming to correct the competitive balance of the industry by offering smaller North West-based businesses the opportunity to use its photography studio, recording booths, production facilities and editing equipment on a flexible and scalable basis.

Daily access to Department, situated at the Bonded Warehouse within the Enterprise City district of Manchester city centre, includes access to: Bonded Underground, home to Manchester Studios and Reform Radio; The Gallery, a private exhibition space which can be used for showcases and events; Clubhouse, an informal space for work and social meetings, Condition, an in-house wellness studio, Project Halcyon, a cocktail bar and distillery, and a series of meeting rooms throughout the 1860s warehouse.

Use of the hot desks, meeting rooms & breakout spaces, printing, member events programme and unlimited tea & coffee at Department Bonded Warehouse is available for £15 per day, with access to studios and production facilities available at a discount to Department members.

Anthony Powell, managing director at Department, said: “Work doesn’t necessarily happen at a desk for many of the region’s creative, media and digital businesses, with photographers, models, content creators, producers and editors all needing access to the equipment and facilities they need to carry out their jobs. Many companies cannot afford to invest in expensive equipment and large studios themselves, and need them on an infrequent basis, and that’s why we are offering those that want to retain the quality of their work access to industry-leading facilities on a per-day and flexible basis.”

“The ethos of Department is a department store for all kinds of work; a space which includes a specialist inventory designed to support each business. Now more than ever, flexibility and adaptability are key, so businesses can book Department’s facilities for a number of days, or even hours, to deliver their projects effectively during these challenging times.

Department also recently launched a successful pop-up workspace offering at XYZ Social in Spinningfields, Manchester providing those living in the city centre with an alternative location to work from in a drive to improve productivity, wellness and work-life balance.

Anthony Powell, continued: “We are also remaining open while Government restrictions allow us to, as working in isolation can have a negative effect on mental health, and the wellbeing of employees is a responsibility of employers. Retaining a designated workplace provides a mechanism to support workers’ wellbeing by beating the sense of solitude many have after working from home for an extended period of time.”

The department store for business workplace is already used by Manchester Camerata, Modern English and Auden Department welcomes businesses that need space on a short-term and flexible basis to book the space for their upcoming projects.

What is Department?

The complete workplace offering, which is an evolution of the All Work & Social managed workspace operation, originally founded as the award-winning Hello Social, by Allied London, also has sites in Bonded Warehouse and ABC building. It will give businesses of 1–200 people space to work, scale and grow, providing everything a company needs to thrive in one place.

Department offers members fully customisable spaces, from single and clusters of desks, to private studios, allowing flexible working and giving companies space to evolve and change with their surroundings, providing the ultimate workplace solution for businesses in all sectors.

Each of Department’s sites will offer members a varied inventory of wellness and social spaces and opportunities, developed in collaboration with local business, with gyms, coffee shops, bars, tap houses and a gin distillery all on-site.

Department will operate seven sites in the heart of three UK cities – Manchester, London and Leeds. Department Leeds and Department London will open in 2021, Department Piccadilly will open in 2022.

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