Serviced Office News

Executive Offices Group Streamlines Processes with CentreCharge2010 Upgrade

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Executive Offices Group, EOG, is the latest serviced office provider to streamline processes thanks to a recent upgrade to RJmetis’ CentreCharge2010. The company, which has a portfolio of 36 centres across the country, will be using the software to improve both the efficiency of its own operations in terms of weekly and monthly reporting schedules and is confident that the upgrade will also make day-to-day use of its facilities easier for its own clients.

Tim Giles, Property and Operations Director at EOG, explained more about the company’s decision to upgrade; “We had been using an earlier version of CentreCharge for nearly six years but it became apparent that we were not using the system’s capabilities to its full extent and were still relying on too many old, manual processes. We drew up a wish list and called in RJmetis. To our delight they were able to answer ‘Yes’ to our requirements and the upgrade process has already started.”

“Our knowledge and understanding of the serviced office environment combined with sound business acumen led to the development of the upgrades for CC2010 and has enabled us to pre-empt the needs of key clients and strengthened our relationship with EOG, a market leader,” commented Justin Harley, MD at RJmetis.

CentreCharge is the UK’s leading billing and enquiry management software for the serviced office sector, operational in over 600 business centres. Further information is available at www.rjmetis.com.

Executive Offices Group Launches New Web Pages for Central London Office Space Customers

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Leading London serviced office provider Executive Offices Group has launched a series of newly-redesigned web pages, designed to aid businesses looking for central London office space, meeting rooms and virtual offices.

The new pages focus on key locations throughout the centre of London, with an emphasis on office addresses in City of London, Holborn and Covent Garden areas, and individual centres at Bishopsgate, Cornhill and Old Bailey. Each page has been revamped with new Social Media content in the form of location-targeted Flickr image slideshows, area guide feeds from the London Hotspots blog and embedded travel information widgets from Transport For London.

Emily Smith, Marketing Director at Executive Offices Group, comments: “We want our website to be as informative and useful as possible, both for our existing clients and potential new customers. It’s important to know about the area your business will be based in, as it’s where people spend the majority of their days throughout the year.

“The new on-page content adds an extra level of depth when searching for central London office space, with the image slideshows providing a visual feel for each area, and blog posts keeping you up to date with the latest information and guides on subjects ranging from city travel to restaurant reviews.”

Features of the new pages include:

• Redesign of seven key pages, across four key locations: business centres across the centre of London, including City of London, Holborn and Covent Garden areas, with individual centres at Bishopsgate, Cornhill and Old Bailey.

• Targeted Flickr image slideshows, showcasing a feed of images directly related to the location the users is currently browsing.

• Feeds of content from the Executive Offices Group London Hotspots blog, providing relevant local information on a wide variety of subjects.

• Travel widgets from Transport For London, including the Journey Planner and Tube Map services.

For more information on Executive Offices Group, including serviced offices, meeting rooms and virtual offices, please visit www.executiveoffices.co.uk, email enquiries@eogroup.com or call +44 (0)20 3008 8888.

New Executive Offices Group London Virtual Office Package Gives Entrepreneurs & Small Businesses an Edge

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Executive Offices Group launches a new London virtual office entrepreneur package, combining the prime features of their existing services, plus membership to Executive Business Lounges all for a special reduced price.

Standing out from the crowd is important for any small business or start-up, and in a competitive market, it pays to have an edge. Executive Offices Group, the leading provider of serviced and virtual offices in London has announced this week a new virtual office package, designed for entrepreneurs, start-up businesses and home workers.

Combining highly sought after London office addresses with a number of essential business tools and resources, the entrepreneur package is ideal for businesses requiring a presence in London, without the need for full time office space.

The benefits of using services such as the ones featured in the entrepreneur package have been widely reported, offering as they do a smarter and more cost-effective way of working: a study performed by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply revealed average savings of up to 50% for firms taking space in a business centre - savings that can make a big difference to small businesses.

Emily Smith, Marketing Director of Executive Offices Group, comments: “In these uncertain economic times, our London virtual offices can provide a highly flexible and cost effective office solution for start-up companies, sole traders and small businesses.

“Our new entrepreneur package combines five of our most popular virtual office products, including telephone answering, a business address and Executive Business Lounge membership, all in one simple, monthly fee.”

The full entrepreneur package includes the following features and services:

1. London Virtual Office Address (a business address in one of Executive Offices Group’s Prestigious London office locations, and mail handling services)

2. Telephone Answering Service (personalised telephone answering in your company name by experienced professionals based in London, a

3. Touchdown (up to 5 hours per week use of a touchdown desk within your business centre address)

4. Executive Business Lounge Membership (access to five prestigious executive business lounges across prime London locations: No. 1 Cornhill EC3, 33 St. James’s Square SW1, 67 Grosvenor Street W1, Central Court WC2, 60 Lombard Street EC3)

5. Meeting Rooms (two hours per month in one of Executive Offices Group’s professional small London meeting rooms - ideal for meetings up to four people)

To mark the launch of the new package, Executive Offices Group is offering customers who take a 12 month agreement before April 30th 2010 a 14% discount of just £250 per month (subject to terms).

For more information contact Virtual Sales on 020 3008 8889, e-mail virtualoffices@eogroup.com or visit www.executiveoffices.co.uk

Being of Service - serviced offices are a vital cog in the Mayfair business machine...

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Serviced offices are a vital cog in the Mayfair business machine, but one of the major operators still wonders why some businesses don't recognise the benefits - Duncan Lamb reports for the Mayfair Times (March)

Peter Allport is a perplexed man. The Chief Executive of the Executive Offices Group, widely acknowledged as the person who pioneered the serviced office concept in the UK, still cannot fathom why so many businesses would source their offices via the traditional route of a long lease and then have to sort out all the other challenges such as IT, telephony, office furniture, meeting rooms, etc.

If you suggest to him that the one-stop shop approach to sourcing offices, where all costs are rolled into one charge, is expensive, his rebuttal is swift and detailed. Using the example of a customer with a "six-desk requirement" he runs through the costs involved in taking the traditional leasing route and then compares them with the cost of taking the same space in one of EOG’s serviced office centres. The projected cost saving, he concludes, could be as much as £100,000 per year.

That the figures are at his fingertips is hardly surprising. Allport has been running serviced office centres since 1982 and today EOG has 35 centres, most of which are clustered in central London.

"Business plans are almost always guaranteed to be inaccurate and businesses have to be able to respond to that. Therefore leasing a fixed amount of space for at least five years can be risky," he says.

"Our flexible approach enables companies to lease the amount of space they need immediately and subsequently tailor the amount of space and length of stay to suit their changing needs."

Despite the compelling nature of the cost comparison, he insists that what his business offers is not just about price. "What we help businesses do is manage change and operate more efficiently," he says. "That is about providing solutions, not just delivering cost and time savings. "The customer will remember the solution long after the price is forgotten." Given the immediacy of the business – "We can have a customer fully operational in four days" – serviced offices are a good bellwether of the economy.

Reflecting on the economic turbulence of the past two years, Allport says that business has been resilient: "For example, in 2008 we experienced a much higher level of churn – customers coming and going – but by the end of the year we had posted a record volume of lettings."

Encouragingly, he also reports that activity has been steadily on the increase during the past four months: "We’re the first to spot the coming of a downturn but also the first to see when things are improving."

Just over a year ago, the business took a significant step forward when it was selected by Grosvenor to operate four serviced office centres in Mayfair and Belgravia at 28 Grosvenor Street, 67 Grosvenor Street, 52 Brook Street and 52 Grosvenor Gardens. The partnership seems like a good fit. EOG is discreet to the point of self-effacement. Even though it operates four types of centres – Argyll, Palladia, Grosvenor and Corpnex – these simply define the different products on offer to the customer.

You’ll not find any branding at the centres. As a result, there is no culture clash between Grosvenor and its partner. Last month, when the refurbished 67 Grosvenor Street was launched, Lauren Buck, investment director at Grosvenor, commented: "Serviced offices are a key growth area for our portfolio. Our relationship with EOG has proved very successful over the past year, allowing our clients to manage their businesses, while we manage their office space and reduce the everyday hassle often associated with it."

Allport clearly sees the Grosvenor Street centre – which launched with 20 per cent of its space prelet – as, in many respects, the shape of things to come. The feel of the reception area is unmistakably that of a boutique hotel rather than a soulless office building. This is perhaps not surprising as he looks more toward the hotel business than the property sector for inspiration. "We’re a service company with a property portfolio attached," he says. "Many of our centre managers formerly worked at five-star hotels. They like working for us because they get to go home at night."

It is the level and quality of service that is pivotal to the business. With more than a third of new business coming from referrals, it is imperative to get the service right so that an existing customer will make a recommendation to a potential customer.

Focusing on customer service is not something that characterises the mainstream commercial property sector, but Allport is clearly not a typical property man. During the interview, he quotes from Leonard Cohen to illustrate a point about negotiation ("Forget your perfect offering/ There is a crack, a crack in everything") and shows the greatest enthusiasm not when he’s talking about his buildings but when he’s discussing the 250-strong EOG workforce. "The best part of my job is watching people develop," says Allport, "seeing what they can achieve and what they contribute to the business. We have 27 languages represented amongst the workforce – it’s an amazing resource for us internally".

But when it comes to communicating to the outside world, his passion for customer service remains undimmed. "When I started talking in property circles about treating tenants as customers and delivering customer service, I would get laughed out of the room," says Allport. "I said then that there will be a time when the tenant is king – and that time is certainly now."

Grosvenor and Executive Offices Group launch prime Mayfair Serviced Offices

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January 20th saw the launch of 67 Grosvenor Street, providing serviced offices, virtual offices, meeting rooms and a Club Lounge facility in the heart of prestigious Mayfair. Owned by international property company Grosvenor and managed by Executive Offices Group (EOG), the newly refurbished period property offers modern space in a traditional setting, with one of the most desirable postcodes in the capital.

The property was originally built in 1723 and designed as two separate townhouses, with its grand architecture complementing the prominent nature of its surroundings. Behind the stunning traditional white façade are six floors of world-class interiors which have been elegantly restored to create office space that is bright and welcoming with views over a secluded private garden.

Office suites are available on simple, flexible lease terms with amenities including: fully furnished offices, dedicated reception, telephone answering services, bandwidth connectivity, IP telephones, shower rooms, kitchen facilities and two spacious meeting rooms.

A beautiful Club Lounge further adds to the building’s appeal, allowing businesses to pay a minimal monthly fee for access to a new 'drop-in' style of meeting space, especially relevant to small businesses who frequently require a comfortable and informal place in which to do business. Membership gives customers access to a number of other Club Lounges operated across central London by Executive Offices Group. 67 Grosvenor Street also offers a Virtual Office solution for companies who require all the benefits of a serviced office but do not require physical office space.

Lauren Buck, Investment Director at Grosvenor, comments, “Serviced offices are a key growth area for our portfolio, illustrated by the level of interest already shown in the launch of 67 Grosvenor Street, with 20% pre-let. Our relationship with EOG has proved very successful over the past year – allowing our clients to manage their businesses, while we manage their office space and reduce the everyday hassle often associated with it.”

Peter Allport, CEO Executive Offices Group comments, “The high level of pre-let office space achieved at 67 Grosvenor Street is testament to the demand for high quality, flexible office space in the capital. Serviced offices offer businesses a prestigious office address on a cost effective, flexible basis”

Prestigious City offices for up to 45 desks at No. 1 Cornhill

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Argyll No.1, Cornhill is a magnificent business centre with an enviable City of London location. A large, flexible office suite to suit requirements of 15-45 desks has recently become available on the ground floor. This outstanding serviced office space is competitively priced and would be perfectly suited to those in the finance sector.

Argyll No.1 Cornhill is part of Executive Offices Group’s portfolio of 36 business centres situated primarily in prestigious London locations.

Set above Bank underground station and one of the cornerstones of Bank Interchange, Argyll, No.1 Cornhill EC3 is ideally located for all the City has to offer. This classic domed roofed period building offers stunning modern interiors with serviced offices and meeting rooms designed to the highest specification.

A welcoming reception area opens into the building’s original banking hall which is inlaid with marble and has been refurbished into a modern Club Lounge. This informal area is fully licensed and provides an ideal setting for residents to meet and entertain clients. The building also offers a range of flexible meeting rooms, including the spectacular Dome Room.

Large City Serviced Office Suite Available Now

An exciting opportunity currently presents itself in this popular Argyll business centre. A large flexible serviced office suite to suit requirements of 15-45 desks is currently available on the ground floor of the building, next to its impressive Club Lounge.

The area can be configured to suit occupiers’ precise needs and represents a unique opportunity for a company with a large, flexible office requirement.

Like all Executive Offices Group suites, it is available fully furnished for a cost effective monthly fee on short, flexible lease terms. The centre’s discreet, yet attentive personnel provide all occupiers with a dedicated reception, personalised call answering, mail handling and a variety of business support services.

For more information about this rare opportunity or to arrange a viewing of Argyll, No.1 Cornhill telephone 020 3008 8888 or email enquiries@eogroup.com

Mayfair serviced offices - market update

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Mayfair is an enduringly popular business location and the lower office rents currently available in this exclusive part of London have made it more accessible to all types of companies, regardless of sector. Mayfair also remains a hub for boutique financial services companies.

Executive Offices Group operates an unrivalled portfolio of 20 high quality serviced office centres throughout London's West End with:

- Availability for 1-60 desks across a range of prestigious Mayfair locations

- Mayfair serviced offices of varying standard and price

- Flexible layouts from single offices to open plan and inter-connecting suites

Here are just a few of the outstanding properties in our Mayfair serviced office portfolio:

Argyll, 53 Davies Street W1

Boutique Mayfair serviced offices perfect for executive requirements

This townhouse has been expertly restored into modern Mayfair serviced offices that never fail to impress. The property has an abundance of original features and is one of the most beautiful in the Argyll portfolio.

Palladia, 23 Berkeley Square W1

Outstanding Mayfair serviced office centre with landmark London address

Set in the heart of Mayfair, 23 Berkeley Square is one of London's most desirable office addresses. This stylish unbranded property stands on the corner of Berkeley Square, providing a discreet and elegant serviced office environment.

Grosvenor Serviced Offices, 52 Brook Street W1

High quality, cost effective Mayfair serviced office solution

Situated mid-way between Davies Street and New Bond Street, 52 Brook Street is perfectly located for all the area has to offer. This contemporary Mayfair serviced office environment offers high quality yet cost effective offices.

Palladia, 29 Farm St W1

Mayfair building with character and serviced offices for every budget

An ideal business setting, in one of London's most desirable locations, 29 Farm Street is a unique Mayfair serviced office building offering a fantastic choice of offices and meetings rooms all finished to a high specification.

Argyll, 18b Charles Street

Finest quality Mayfair serviced offices

18b Charles Street is a beautiful Georgian property with a discreet Mayfair setting and serviced offices designed to the finest specification. Grade II listed, this Mayfair serviced office property retains many original period features and a warm welcoming atmosphere.

For further details about any of our Mayfair serviced offices or our wider London serviced office portfolio please telephone 020 3008 8888 or email enquiries@eogroup.com

Second floor suitable for up to 30 desks shortly available SW1

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Palladia, 4/5 Park Place is an impressive business centre located in a quiet West End street just off Piccadilly, offering a range of cost effective serviced offices over 5 floors. The entire second floor, suitable for up to 30 desks, will shortly be available for occupation.

Office Space to Rent Palladia, 4/5 Park Place, London SW1

Palladia, 4/5 Park Place is part of Executive Offices Group’s portfolio of 36 business centres situated primarily in prestigious London locations.

Designed to complement its prestigious surroundings, Palladia, 4/5 Park Place SW1 combines traditional architecture with a truly modern serviced office working environment.

Serviced offices and suites are bright and airy and the reception area is finished in attractive limestone. This stylish, unbranded serviced office property, is ideally situated in the heart of London’s West End, close to Green Park and St James’s Park with numerous shops, restaurants and hotels located nearby.

Rare Serviced Offices Available to Let in London St James's

An exciting opportunity currently presents itself in this hugely popular Mayfair serviced office centre, where the entire second floor has recently become available to let. This large area is currently segmented into a number of smaller serviced office suites, a format which can be maintained or alternatively re-fitted to suit occupiers’ bespoke needs.

Further Information

For more information about this rare opportunity or to arrange a viewing of the serviced offices at Palladia, 4/5 Park Place please contact Executive Offices Group on 020 3008 8888 or email enquiries@eogroup.com

Outstanding City offices to let at Palladia, 41 Lothbury, EC2

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Palladia, 41 Lothbury is a stunning modern business centre with an excellent City of London location. A large amount of flexible space has recently become available, with impressive serviced offices to suit requirements of 3-130 desks. This City business centre can’t fail to impress and space is currently available at an exceptional rate.

Palladia, 41 Lothbury, London EC2

Palladia, 41 Lothbury EC2 is part of Executive Offices Group’s portfolio of 36 serviced office centres situated primarily in prestigious London locations.

As well as an exceptional location and imposing architecture, this beautiful City serviced office property boasts interiors with an array of original features. The reception area has ionic columns, Italian marble walls and an original checkerboard marble floor.

Two floors of impeccably finished serviced offices and suites are arranged around a stunning central atrium, giving natural light in abundance. This stylish office property is ideally situated in the heart of EC2, next to The Bank of England and everything the City has to offer. Bank underground station is one minute’s walk away.

Flexible Serviced Office Suites for Every Requirement

An exciting opportunity currently presents itself in this business centre, which is perfectly suited to those in the Banking industry. A large amount of flexible space will shortly be available to suit requirements from 3-130 desks.

This building is currently segmented into a number of smaller serviced office suites, a format which can be maintained or alternatively re-fitted to suit occupiers’ bespoke needs. The office space available can accommodate up to 130 desks, open plan over two floors. It therefore represents a unique opportunity for a company with a large, flexible office requirement.

All Executive Offices Group serviced office suites are available fully furnished for a cost effective monthly fee on short, flexible lease terms. The business centre’s discreet, yet attentive personnel provide all occupiers with a dedicated reception, personalised call answering, mail handling and a variety of business support services.

This extraordinary serviced office space would be an excellent alternative for a company seeking conventional office space, offering the perfect solution for anyone requiring the price and lease flexibility to adapt to today’s constantly changing markets, without the ties of a longer lease.

Further Information

For more information about this rare opportunity or to arrange a viewing of the serviced offices at Palladia, 41 Lothbury EC2 please contact Executive Offices Group on 020 3008 8888 or email enquiries@eogroup.com

City and Midtown serviced office market remains resilient in Q2

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The performance of the City serviced office market has remained relatively stable throughout Q2, contrary to unfavourable market conditions, with Executive Offices Group completing 34 serviced office deals compared with 33 for the same period last year in the City & Midtown. The City and Midtown serviced office market covers the Square Mile, as well as Covent Garden and Holborn.

This new City serviced office business has been made up from the following industry sectors:

Financial Services – 46%

Business Services – 20%

Insurance – 17%

Technology and Telecoms – 17%

Points of Interest in the City and Midtown serviced office market:

Interestingly 46% of our Q2 new City serviced office business came from financial services, primarily hedge fund and boutique financial services companies that have traditionally based themselves out of Mayfair and St James’s. This shift towards more cost effective City serviced office accommodation reflects a tightening of purse strings and keenness to demonstrate value for money to investors.
The Insurance sector is proving resilient in the face of recession. 17% of new serviced office business has come from this sector and occupancy remains extremely high in our office buildings in the Insurance district, namely 10 Fenchurch Avenue, EC3, 117 Fenchurch Street , EC3, 60 Lombard Street, EC3 and 148 Leadenhall Street, EC3.
Business services makes up 20% of Executive Offices Group’s new City serviced office business. This figure includes 2 media companies which have taken serviced office space at 288 Bishopsgate, EC2 and 15 Old Bailey, EC4.
Overall our experience of the City serviced office market so far this year demonstrates that companies from sectors not normally associated with the City are now willing to take space within the Square Mile, Covent Garden and Holborn due to cost effective rates and a wide variety of high quality City serviced office space.

Executive Offices Group offers a wide range of flexible serviced office space throughout the City and Midtown. To find out about current availability within our City and Midtown serviced office portfolio, please don’t hesitate to contact the Executive Offices Group central sales team on 020 3008 8888 or email enquiries@eogroup.com