Business is booming in the East Midlands

New business in the East Midlands is on the rise – with figures showing steady increases in February and March this year.

This is the sharpest increase in the past 12 months, showing an encouraging trend of business growth for the region. What’s more, firms in the East Midlands are also taking on new staff at a rate faster than the UK average.

The statistics come from data collected in March for the Lloyds TSB East Midlands Business Activity Index, which tracks sales, employment, inventories and prices in the private sector economy.

Business centres thriving

The findings are mirrored by our business centres in the area, which have seen new customers moving in and existing customers expanding. They also come after we announced record occupancy in our Newton Heath centre centres just last week.

Roden House Business Centre in Nottingham is particularly thriving, with a record 99% occupancy rate.

“We only have two vacant units at the moment, which clearly shows the demand for space here,” Business Centre Manager Jamie Douglas says.

“There are a whole host of reasons why Roden House is so popular, but I think the main selling point is the flexible licences, which Bizspace is famous for.

“We are able to adapt terms to suit our customers’ needs, rather than setting out fixed contracts which are ‘one-size-fits-all’. We take the time to meet with customers and understand what it is they are looking for, so we can provide the best workspace solution for their business.”

The former Victorian lace mill is just a five minute walk from Nottingham city centre and offers offices, workshops and light industrial units.

A prosperous community

Jamie explains that there is an emphasis on helping customers of the centre pass business to each other, creating a healthy and beneficial work environment for companies to thrive.

“We have a monthly newsletter, a communal noticeboard, we hold regular coffee mornings and we introduce new customers by passing around their contact details,” he says.

“A lot of our customers regularly pass business between each other, so not only do companies here get great value for money, they are also increasing the amount of business they do. We get a lot of recommendations from existing customers, because of the business facilities here and the great atmosphere.”

Some of the variety of businesses at Roden House include a gym, a church, a textile manufacturer, and a host of musicians who use workspace for practising.

“We are close to Nottingham University and we have a large number of bands and musicians who use space here for rehearsals,” says Jamie.

“It really is a diverse mix of customers we have here, which adds to the vibrant work environment at the business centre.”

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