Launching a Coworking and Meeting Venue on the back of a pandemic has been quite the experience. The way people are working is changing rapidly and the demand for coworking spaces is on the rise.
With businesses downsizing and staff being asked to work remotely, suddenly home life and work-life are blending into one, having a damaging impact on work-life balance, and in many cases, negatively affecting mental health too. Smaller workforces often result in increased workload and less peer support, so individuals are becoming increasingly isolated from colleagues and work friends.
Many individuals have not yet had the benefit of working from a coworking space due to financial constraints and for this reason, are reluctant to invest in a desk away from home when they can work for free from the kitchen.
Residents in cities such as Leeds and Manchester, however, are already reaping the benefits of working from a professional serviced office space a few days per week, allowing them improved focus, productivity and a clear divide between work and home life.
Wakefield is not far behind, and at The Hive, we are already ahead of the curve in offering a quality space in a fantastic location. We designed our coworking and meeting venue with the client in mind, our mission being to create a flexible workspace solution for professional individuals.
We wanted to share the reasons why The Hive Wakefield stands above the rest:
1. Location, Location, Location!
Our offices are based just 5 minutes drive from J39 that connects you directly to the M1 and the M62 we are also less than 5 minutes away from the centre of Wakefield. With free parking on-site and close proximity to local transport links, our offices are easily accessible with the added bonus of Wakefield City’s local shops, bars and restaurants!
Some of our favourite local hangouts include:
Bars: Qubana
2. Quality over quantity
We know there are many casual venues offering coworking days for under £10 including free drinks and sometimes even a sandwich thrown in. While this deal sounds fantastic, low-cost venues like this often come at the compromise of spacious desks, natural lighting, and quality furnishings.
Our original idea was based on 22 hot desks but when we realised that this would mean cramped workspaces and lower quality furnishings, we opted to reduce our offering to only 12 desks allowing us to offer a higher quality service to fewer people and a better experience overall.
As well-established marketers, the team at our sister company PAB Studios made sure to do their research on what clients wanted before The Hive came into fruition. The Directors even tried out some venues for themselves so they could understand what is most important to coworkers and check out the competition. This assisted us in creating the most ideal and comfortable working space for our clients, without compromise.
The Hive venue currently has 12 coworking pods, two meeting rooms accommodating 10 and two 3-person private offices.
The top 3 things that coworking at the hive offers you:
Personal Space – Use of large desks and high-quality furniture including lockers and lockable desk drawers. There are also 3 private glass offices for more discreet calls and meetings.
Natural Lighting – Plenty of huge windows looking out onto beautiful greenery make this space feel like a countryside retreat.
A workplace that cares – Our focus is not on the number of bums on seats but on the quality of the clientele we attract, and the exceptional service we offer.
3. The Hive Residents
Aside from the tangible benefits of The Hive, you can also gain a huge amount of value through connecting with other individuals in business.
We see the hive as a place to cross-pollinate with others.
Now I’m not talking about the web designer dating the Tax accountant. I’m talking about working alongside specialists in fields that you may not be as clued-up in. We can’t be specialists at everything after all.
Say you’re interested in starting a new podcast but not sure where to begin, you could enlist the services of White Label Studios, one of our valued residents who is a Radio and Podcast expert.
Cross-pollination amongst co-workers breeds innovation and collaboration. Sharing great ideas and joining forces with others produces unexpected opportunities and growth.
Our current customer base consists of a broad spectrum of business professionals. Some titles you are likely to come across at the Hive include Talent Acquisition Manager, Graphic Designer, Marketing Account Manager, Photographer, Radio Producer, Podcast Producer, Entrepreneur, Solopreneur, and interior designer, amongst others.
With roles like these within our community, there’s an abundance of opportunities to connect and learn from others!
We appreciate collaboration is not everyone’s cup of tea, so whilst we aim to create a welcoming and open environment for those that like to network, we respect privacy and discretion for those who consider themselves more of a workplace lone wolf.
4. An Iconic and interesting building
What’s interesting about our building is the history behind its unique design. If you are a resident of Wakefield, you may recognise the large, white, spaceship-like building nestled behind lots of beautiful trees on Thornes Lane. You may have even wondered what goes on behind the revolving doors of what could be a Bond villain's lair.
With a boardroom that looks like something out of an Austen Powers movie and the many original 1980s features, the interior of the building does not disappoint!
We have been doing some investigating to find out about the legacy of this iconic construction, as its beauty and quality are too good not to share.
The building was built in March of 1980 as the Headquarters of Avon Transmission services, a successful engineering business that manufactured gearboxes. As the flagship location of the business, the owner and director, David Tennant enlisted David Lyons & Associates & Marshalls Construction to create a futuristic and showstopping design.
The construction was such a fantastic project that it even won the Wakefield District Council’s Annual Design Award award in the 1980s.
We even managed to get our hands on an artist's impression of the original building design that was very kindly donated to us from Avon Transmission Services themselves.
Keep your eyes peeled for our next blog that will share more about the history of our Offices.
5. Living next door to a Publicity, Advertising and Brand Agency
Lastly but certainly not least, one of the greatest benefits of working at The Hive is sharing a building with our sister company PAB Studios.
As a well-established Publicity, Advertising and Brand Agency, PAB Studios are very well connected within the advertising industry and with local businesses. Since launching the Hive Wakekefield, PAB studios have already utilised the services of some of our members and referred member services to their very own connections.
So not only is there a potential for referrals here, but you also have the advantage of working alongside a fun and creative business that may also be able to assist in your own professional growth!
The vibe within the offices is chilled and relaxed, PAB may work very hard meeting deadlines for some big names in business, but they also know how to engage their staff and bring some light-hearted fun to the workplace too! It's not uncommon for the Directors to run fun and engaging incentives, themed days, and competitions to keep staff feeling upbeat and energised.
At the Hive, we fully intend on replicating the fun elements that PAB offer to interest and engage our inspiring, and loyal community of customers.
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