Comments on: Rent a serviced office for £1

By: Serviced Office rents

Serviced Office rents — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:50:08 +0000

[...] Rental prices in the office space market have been falling since the start of the recession. Some areas have faired worse than others, for example the West End has seen the most significant falls – up to 40% down on the peak levels achieved before the credit crunch. As capital values fell and demand for workspace weakened, the market quickly fell heavily on the side of the occupier. Traditional tenants could barter for strong incentives such as rent free periods, while serviced clients were presented with rents for as little as £1. [...]

By: United Business Centres MD 'Mystified' by Price Cuts | Offices North West

United Business Centres MD 'Mystified' by Price Cuts | Offices North West — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:52:51 +0000

[...] Managing Director of United Business Centres, Philip Grace, has voiced his concern over the recent trend of price cutting on national office news site, needofficespace.com. [...]

By: SJR

SJR — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:25:53 +0000

Price matching is much less aggressive than slashing prices across the board, it merely serves to match the lowest prices in the local area – ensuring that a business centre remains competitive? Does this mean that UBC will have to match MLS’s £1 offer?

By: John Nash

John Nash — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:21:22 +0000

I have to agree with Philip’s comments on some of the pricing policies in the market at the moment.

However, United Business Centres are also running a promotion to price match within a 5-mile radius. Do you not think that this is also going to have a negative effect on prices?

By: James Jones

James Jones — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:32:47 +0000

Excellent comment, Philip.

I just do not think that the industry needs to go down this route at the moment.

There are some great deals around – from UBC, YourSpace to name a few, but there is a big difference between a good deal and something that could dilute the market.

We need a spokesperson to stand up for the industry at the moment (Mr. Dixon?) and really get the small business community around the throat and tell them just how important serviced offices can be, especially during the credit crunch.

By: philip grace

philip grace — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 08:46:43 +0000

At UBC, we’re seeing like for like enquires up month on month, we’re also converting enquiries month on month into good quality business. We’re seeing no reduction in demand for space across the UK.
• I speak to the internet brokers, they confirm that they’re also seeing this
We’re all confused at UBC to see that operators find the need to dilute the value of the business centre product in the current market place. As business centre operators we’re all different in the services we offer. Clearly, location and the quality of the buildings are important, it does though; continue to mystify me, when I see operators cutting each other’s throats. The saying, you get what you pay for is so true.
UBC are not the cheapest, we’re not the most expensive, but our prime focus is on delivering to the client what they need, at the best possible price…
All business centre operators should be out there, shouting from the roof-tops, telling people of the benefits of flexible office space, not diluting the product, to see their income reduced, to find that they’re unable to deliver the services, to the high standards expected by clients.
Perhaps that’s why at UBC, we have clients in all of their buildings that have been with us since the day they opened- in Milton Keynes, that’s eight years.
This is a great time for business centres, use it sensibly, don’t go down the Daily Mail route, there are great opportunities out there, it’s not all bad news ; Serviced Office is a great way to for companies to take flexible space –