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Location, Location, Location… It’s key

Looking to rent office or studio space? Ensuring you’re in the best possible location for your business should be a top priority.


If there’s one criteria that shouldn’t be overlooked when hunting for a new office or studio space, it’s location. Price, square footage and facilities are all important details to consider, but top of your list should be procuring a central, accessible location, and a workspace in the city can fulfil this.

Central work locations can mean a boost to business – cities are often hubs for start-ups and other small to medium sized businesses, meaning a potentially untapped client base is on your doorstep. If you’re working in the city, chances are you’ll be better situated for access to networking events and business exhibitions; all important for raising awareness of your brand and making connections.

Regardless of the type of business you own, it’s likely that at some point you’ll need to meet clients or suppliers. Whether you’re travelling to your contacts or they’re visiting you, a central location guarantees better public transport connections, particularly if you need to travel further afield to Cambridge or London.

This can also be advantageous if you have staff that commute: employees are far more likely to have a better range of options for travelling to work, particularly if they use public transport. For example, businesses located in Norwich city centre are rarely more than a 15-minute walk from the train or bus station, and travel to and from the city usually means faster, more frequent services. For those that drive, there are plenty of options for parking, varying from spaces that are rented monthly to multi-story car parks where employees can pay on the day.

Lastly, let’s not forget lunch hour; everyone can benefit from time away from their desk to refresh and reset for the afternoon. We’re fortunate enough in Norwich to have a number of green spaces, including the Cathedral and riverside areas, which are great places to pause in the middle of the day. Working in the city also means easy access to the plethora of independent cafés, restaurants and pubs that thrive within Norwich’s excellent food and drink scene, so midday meetings and post-work plans are sorted.

In short, a central location simply offers more choice and better access for colleagues and clients alike.  

Looking to rent a central office or studio? Why not get in touch today to find out more about our available space or book a viewing.

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Project a Professional Image with a Virtual Office

All the benefits of a great business address, with none of the overheads.

Let’s face it; whether we like it or not, first impressions are everything. When it comes to deciding whether to work with, buy from, or invest in a business, most people aren’t afraid to make snap judgements.

How your business is perceived, and sometimes how seriously you are taken, is often tied up in where you’re based. This is especially true if your business relies on location. For example, imagine an estate agent is selling property in Norwich city centre. Part of the service home buyers seek from a business like this is local expertise: if a potential customer tries to contact the business and sees that their head office is in Ipswich, they might be unconvinced and go elsewhere.

Similarly, if you’re seeking finance for your fledgling business, giving potential investors your home address probably doesn’t convey the most professional of images. But professional premises can be expensive, and for a start-up or small business, funding them isn’t always possible.

So, just how do you ensure your business looks credible without actually incurring the cost of a shiny new office and all the extras that go with it?

A virtual office is the ideal solution. With this service, you can officially register your business at a desirable, central address that is suitable for your business. There’s no need to rent a physical office space, or spend money on insurance, furniture and extra staffing. Instead, you can pay a fraction of the cost to set up your virtual office, and use your new registered business address on all your marketing materials including your business cards, letterheads and website.

It isn’t just material costs you could save on. Time spent answering calls, processing paperwork and sorting out deliveries can cut valuable chunks out of your day. Many virtual office services also offer administration support, mail handling and even bookkeeping.

But, virtual offices aren’t just for small or start up businesses. They’re a valuable tool in expanding an existing or growing business, and moving into new regions. Setting up a virtual office is a great way to test the viability of the new area, without going the whole hog and kitting out an expensive new office. It supplies the new branch of your business with local credibility, vital for securing customers in your new neighbourhood.

Here at The Union Building, we offer a variety of virtual office services available from as little as £35 per month, which are suitable to support any size of business.

If you would like to find out more information, visit our virtual office page or get in touch. We’ll be happy to help.

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Why Consider Co-Working?

Why go it alone when you could work in a collaborative, creative and social space?

The amount of people working freelance or remotely is steadily rising to meet the needs of a more flexible and collaborative business environment. In fact, HR professionals estimate that as many as 20% of employees could be freelancers by 2020. Home to a wealth of creative and digital talent, as well as numerous graduates from its two universities, Norwich is a hub for those looking to work independently.

But if you’re freelancing, where do you work?

For most, the answer lies in a home office, spare bedroom or dining room table. Whilst this is an economical solution, it doesn’t always offer the ideal working environment. And if you’re renting, you may find that there are restrictions around running a business from your home.

Even for the most strong-willed, working from home can feel like most of your day is spent battling against distraction. Last night’s washing up, childcare and friends that “just drop by” can all chip into your work time and affect your productivity. It’s notoriously difficult to set work boundaries in your own home, and while flexibility is an attractive part of being your own boss, separating business from leisure time is vital to stay healthy and happy.

Co-working is a fantastic and cost effective solution. A desk rented monthly – often on a flexible contract – can project a more professional image for your business and increase your productivity.

An office away from home can give your day structure, and knowing that you have somewhere to be means you’re less likely to spend the morning making calls in your pyjamas. Co-working could even benefit your health: if you’re within cycling or walking distance, you could use the time to squeeze in some exercise.

Co-working areas often share space with other great facilities like restaurants and cafés, which are great places to meet clients. It’s also worth looking for somewhere that is central and close to a car park or transport links so clients can easily find you.

Going it alone doesn’t have to be lonely: your co-working community are there to bounce ideas off and collaborate with. Working in a space with so many other businesses means effortless daily networking, and perhaps even some new business.

We offer co-working desks from £100 +VAT on a monthly rolling contract. If you’d like to find out more information or arrange to be taken on a tour of our excellent facilities, why not get in touch. We’ll be more than happy to help.


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Advertising Space At The Union Building

We are offering a fantastic opportunity for businesses to advertise here at The Union Building, through the use of our vacant promotional spaces.

These vacant promotional spaces come in the form of advertising display frames (A2 size), which have been purposely positioned in the areas of the building which receive the most amount of visibility. Such areas include the walls opposite the main stairwell, and inside the two lifts which are used on a frequent basis by employees and visitors inside the building.

The advertising display frames are available for rent from just £50+VAT on a monthly rolling contract; making it an affordable yet effective method to increase the exposure of a business.

Those interested in advertising in our display frames are welcome to provide their own designs for the advert. However, if you do not possess an advert suitable to go inside the A2 frames, we are more than happy to provide a quote for the design and print.

Why advertise at The Union Building?

Promote to a diverse range of businesses

Our promotional spaces provide the chance to promote to a wide network of other businesses; a network which consists of over 50 businesses, all operating in a range of different sectors. These sectors include:

– Accountancy
– Marketing
– Finance
– Property
– Food and Drink
– Travel

Increase awareness

Being home to such a large number of successful businesses and popular facilities brings with it an impressive amount of footfall each day; which is why our promotional spaces are a fantastic opportunity to increase the awareness of your business.

As well as the approximate 500 people who come into the building to work on a daily basis, there is also a consistently large amount of visitors who come either to meet with businesses or to use some of the fantastic facilities we have here. These facilities include the highly popular rooftop bar and restaurant Rooftop Norwich, and the newly opened boutique gym operated by Core Fitness.

If you’re interested in our vacant promotional spaces, get in touch with us today. We’ll be more than happy to help!

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The Impact of Comfort on Meeting Room Productivity

Hate them or love them, business meetings are something that employees and business owners alike all have to take part in at some point. In fact, most experience them on a weekly basis. With much of a business’s time spent on meetings, it’s important that the environment is as conducive to productivity as possible.

In order to have a productive meeting, there are a few key requirements that must be met. Perhaps one of the most important is comfort, this is especially important for longer meetings. Nobody wants to be cramped up in a small, stuffy room, slowly losing all feeling in the bottom half of their body because of an uncomfortable chair. Likewise, nobody wants to come out of a meeting feeling dehydrated and fatigued due to a lack of refreshments on offer.

However, to many people’s disdain, these factors are often overlooked when it comes to meetings. The truth is, these factors are often overlooked because many don’t realise just how important these factors are. How well a meeting goes is at least partly dependant on the environment in which it takes place. Considering the comfort of all those present at a meeting is ultimately to the benefit of everyone involved.

Here at The Union Building, we understand the importance of comfort in a meeting. All of our meeting rooms have been kitted out with brand new furnishings, including comfy seats which guarantee comfort, even during the lengthiest of meetings. This furniture is encompassed in generously sized rooms, with ample space to seat every guest. Refreshments are not forgotten either, with an option available to have your meeting completely catered for. Alternatively, tea and coffee making facilities are always at hand as well as fully stocked vending machines, packed with snacks and cold drinks.

Make all your meetings a success by enquiring about our meeting room packages today.

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Set Your Business Free With Co-working

For many freelancers and small/start-up businesses working from home is common practice. While a makeshift home office may suffice for the short-term, more often than not it’s not a suitable long-term plan for the ambitious business owner.

So, what other options are there? The first thing that springs to mind is office space, but for most freelancers and startups it is both a financial impossibility and unnecessary. Fortunately, there is an increasingly popular compromise. More and more professionals are opting to use co-working areas rather than working from home or renting an office.

Why co-working?

Simply because co-working areas are specifically designed for the freelancers, startups and small businesses of the world. Co-working areas often provide facilities that just aren’t available at home. They offer conveniences that working from home never could.

For example, here at The Union Building renting co-working space will afford you certain benefits, such as a professional business address, a reception service and access to our purpose-built meeting rooms, to name just a few. All of which positively impacts clients perceptions of your business, while making life easier for you.

Co-working areas also tend to be far more productive working environments, due to the absence of distractions found at home. They are designed with productivity in mind and are equipped with facilities conducive to productivity.

Here at The Union Building, we’ve created a co-working area which is bright, open, spacious and comfortable. Boasting fantastic amenities such as a communal kitchen, fully stocked vending machines, and a rooftop bar/restaurant. All these perks mean that the time you spend here is as enjoyable for yourself as it is productive for your business.

To find out more about our co-working area, enquire today!

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What Exactly Is Hot Desking and Is it Right for You?

For many freelancers, it can be a real challenge finding a suitable working environment. The lack of facilities and social interaction can make working from home a non-option for some freelancers. Not to mention the many unhelpful distractions present at home.

With working from home ruled out, what options are left? Renting office space when you’re a one-man band is out of the question. Fortunately, there is an increasingly popular solution for freelancers who find themselves in this predicament. As you’ve probably guessed from the title of this blog, we’re talking about Hot Desking.

Hot Desking is the perfect compromise between working from home and working from rented office space. It has the benefits associated with working from home and from an office without the negatives of either. There are no contracts that require a lengthy commitment, it’s affordable and completely flexible.

What is a Hot Desking service?

The term ‘Hot Desking’ originates from an old naval term ‘hot racking’, meaning to save space. Hot Desking is based on this principle of saving space; providing you with the space you need, but nullifying the excess space you don’t.

In short, to ‘Hot Desk’ is to hire a desk as and when you need it. The main benefits being the affordability and flexibility it provides.

What other benefits does Hot Desking provide?

As well as being an affordable way of working in a productive environment, Hot Desking also provides fantastic learning opportunities. This is because you’re surrounded by other professionals much like yourself who will likely possess skills and experience you do not, and vice versa. This is why hot desking is often a popular choice for those just starting out, as on arrival you become part of a diverse business network. Some of the connections you make may prove useful later down the line.

Here at The Union Building, in addition to providing Hot Deskers with a professional environment in which to work (and network), our service includes a number of additional perks. These perks include access to our secure underground car park and super-fast Wi-Fi, as well as the option to make use of our creative breakout area, equipped with tea and coffee making facilities.

There is also a range of amenities within the building itself, from meeting room space to a rooftop bar & restaurant. Our Hot Desking service is available on either a half-day or full-day basis, meaning how you use the service is completely flexible.

To find out more about our Hot-Desking service, enquire today!

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Can a Virtual Office Service Enhance Your Business?

A business is usually associated with a specific location, and the truth is, the address of your business leaves a lasting impression on potential clients. You will inevitably be judged on the address of your business as it is one of the main pieces of information we use to gauge size. The more prestigious your address is, the more likely people are to use your services. However, as a result of the current economic climate, finding a suitable business address is becoming increasingly tricky and expensive. If you want a premium business address that’s not at a premium price, a virtual office service might be for you.

Not heard of a virtual office? Virtual offices (as the name suggests) are not a physical place of work; which consequently means they may not be the solution for every business; however they can be perfect for others. For example, if you’re a freelancer, start-up, or own a business where your employees work remotely, obtaining a physical location for staff won’t make sense – but having access to a professional admin/reception service and a space for client meetings does.

Here at The Union Building, we offer a variety of different virtual office packages to suit any size of business. Standard services include the use of our prestigious Norwich address across all company communications and marketing collateral, as well as administrative support from our team of experienced administrators who can undertake a vast array of tasks including dictation, letter-writing, and paperwork processing.

We also provide additional support in the form of bookkeeping, to offer assistance for a variety of business and accounting requirements. All of these things combine to provide a complete package service for the user, which adds a professional finish to any business.

To find out more about our virtual office service, please get in contact.

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How Meeting Rooms Can Make Or Break a Business

As I’m sure most will agree, in the world of business, meetings play a crucial role in the smooth running and future success of a company. Whether it’s meeting with existing clients or initial meetings with new ones, they are extremely important. The vibe a client gets from having a meeting with you has a profound impact on their impression of you and your business, so meetings should always be carefully considered.

The question is, how can you ensure all your meeting’s go smoothly? While everyone has their own approach to meetings, there are certain things you can do. Most importantly, prepare for the meeting. Be sure to give off positive body language, and of course, good old fashioned politeness. However, these are not the only factors that make a business meeting a successful one.

What your client sees, smells and feels can prove to be just as important as your own performance within the meeting. The reality is, you can be as well dressed and polite as possible, but if you hold your meetings in a dark, cramped and dingy little room, your clients will associate negative connotations with your business. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to hold your meetings in a space that reflects the standard of the service you aim to provide. A place that is bright, airy and has all the necessary furniture, equipment and facilities to make your client feel welcome will leave a lasting impression.

Here at The Union Building, we offer spacious and stylish meeting spaces available for booking. Each is specifically designed for business professionals to meet and communicate with their clients in an environment that will positively represent their company. With a stylish urban outfit, impressive interior and fantastic location, The Union Building is the ideal place to meet with your clients.

For more information on our available meeting space, please get in contact.

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Why Co-Working Might Be Right for Your Business

When you’re an entrepreneur, it is important to have a creative space in which to work that can also double-up as a place you would be proud to invite clients to. To acquire such space in the heart of Norwich can be expensive, often too expensive for small or start-up businesses. A great way to avoid these costs, while reaping other additional benefits, is by renting co-working space.

This is a fantastic idea for any entrepreneur to consider, and not just for the financial benefits. One of the many advantages to co-working is that you work alongside individuals who have unique skill sets. This is highly beneficial to any business, but especially start-up businesses, as it can help to build up a diverse range of contacts at a stage when it is most vital to do so. This is backed up by ‘Deskmag.com’ who found during their research that individuals who opted to work in co-working spaces were more likely to be motivated, have higher levels of interaction, and work within supportive teams. A good co-working space provides the added bonus of offering a location which has the potential to attract new clients, as well as impressing your existing ones.

A location which can give you this, as well as providing you will all the other benefits associated with co-working space is The Union Building. We boast large, bright and stylish co-working spaces ready for rent in the heart of Norwich city centre; a short walking distance away from the city’s train and bus stations. Our co-working spaces are all fully furnished with a polished, professional finish and have all the necessary equipment ready for you to use. Rent some of our space now, and give your business a location it can be proud of.

To find out more about our available co-working space, please get in contact.