1. The growth of serviced, fully private offices

There was a time when co-working was mainly for freelancers, hot-deskers and short-term office rentals. While the practice is still obviously great for such workers, it also looks as though an increasing number of other players are entering the co-working game.

One of the primary benefits of co-working is that it takes all the stress and hassle of office management away so you can concentrate on growing your business instead. The ease of not dealing with cleaning, intermittent Internet and stocking the coffee machine with beans is now appealing to small teams and larger companies alike. 

As a result, more established and flourishing brands are opting for serviced private offices. These provide all the privacy, customisation and space that you need, alongside the flexibility and time-saving inclusions that characterise co-working memberships.

An example of a fully serviced private office from Us&Co, ideal for larger teams looking for a space they can really make their own.

2. The external meeting trend

Bookable meeting rooms are becoming increasingly popular, with 2020 set to see the highest number yet of meetings arranged at external locations. A report by Meetings Booker found that a growing number of businesses are booking externally particularly for full-day meetings, which make up 49% of room booking requests. 

It’s not hard to see why. There is a long list of advantages to booking external meetings, and scenarios where it is advisable to do so. For example, many brands who book one of our Us&Co meeting rooms do so for a change in scenery for breakout workshops, because they don’t have the meeting space of their own or to take advantage of amenities like audio-visual technology or whiteboards.

External meeting rooms provide high-tech, serviced spaces where any business can host and impress partners, clients, investors and prospective employees. The variety promised by these spaces offers businesses the flexibility of duration, group size and even seated or stand-up meetings. 

As specialists in productivity-focused office design, you can be sure to expect a high standard of meeting rooms from co-working spaces.

When co-working was a relatively new phenomenon, there wasn’t a huge variety in what you could expect. Obvious big, early players like WeWork dominated the industry, stamping their particular style onto the practice. That’s all well and good, but it is becoming abundantly clear that a one-size-fits-all never works when it comes to workplace productivity.

In recent years, co-working has seen a significant increase in diversity. Some offer specialist spaces focusing on co-working for a specific industry. Others prioritise catering for certain sizes of teams, for example, spaces designed primarily for freelancers or small groups of under 5. Then there are some that pride themselves on providing a female-centric atmosphere.

Here at Us&Co, we’ve gone down the route of Pro-Working. We prioritise professionalism, productivity and flexibility to provide our members with truly high-quality working experience.

4. The growth of co-working in new locations

Co-working is no longer confined to London, New York and other large metropolitan power-houses. In 2019, the number of co-working spaces registered outside of the UK and USA climbed. India, Spain and Germany, for example, have 841, 483 and 311 co-working spaces registered. 

Within the UK, you can expect to find co-working centres cropping up in the vast majority of cities and large towns. London, of course, continues to be the co-working capital of the country (if not, Europe too). However, co-workers no longer have to look to central, ‘conventional’ co-working locations, like Bank & Liverpool Street. Co-working business centres are emerging in previously untapped areas, such as Stratford, which continues to reap the benefits of the 2012 Olympics.

Another significant up-and-comer in the world of co-working is Dublin. Especially amidst the uncertainty of Brexit, many brands are turning to the Irish city for bases within the EU. It offers a high quality of life and a gateway to world markets that appeals to SMEs and established businesses alike. In line with this increase in Dublin business potential, the Dublin flexible workspace industry grew by 4,500 new desk spaces within 2019 (according to research by Click Offices), with further growth predicted for 2020.

What does the new space have to offer?

Us&Co Stratford provides the same high quality of amenities and facilities that our current members have come to associate with us. From the luxury decor to the all-inclusive membership fees, we bake professionalism, flexibility and transparency into the core of everything we do.

As always, Us&Co’s co-working cohort has access to free super fast WiFi, 24/7 building access, high tech meeting rooms (also available for external bookings), member events and secure bike storage.

Hot desk and fixed desk coworking is still a large part of what we can offer for our new Stratford members. However, because the building has so much available space, we are able to offer private offices for much larger groups, including large self-contained floors for whole teams. 

Customisable Private Office Space

Our new Stratford office space offers highly customisable working environments to suit any thriving, productivity-focused brand. We pride ourselves on creating a professional and nurturing atmosphere that brands feel comfortable making their own. 

Ultimately, we want you to feel as though your workspace reflects who you as a brand. No two businesses are the same, and your office shouldn’t be either. Whether you need a private office for a smaller team or a whole self-contained floor for a larger brand, Us&Co Stratford is designed to be as adaptable to your requirements as possible. For example, we can arrange desks, partition walls and set out breakout areas exactly according to your preferences.

If you want to find out more about this, we have a full downloadable Us&Co Stratford Location Brochure. This brochure demonstrates potential floorplans – as well as including further information, such as pricing. You can also book a tour to get a feel of the space and we can help you work out what layout would suit your company best.

11 Burford Rd, E15 2ST

Us&Co Stratford is ideally located for brands looking for a base in a well-connected, vibrant and professional area. We have carefully selected this location based on its clear and increasing potential, which has been growing from strength to strength ever since the area played host to the London 2012 Olympic Games. 

Situated just a few minutes’ walk from Stratford underground, rail and DLR stations, there are super-fast, reliable links to the City, London City Airport, Eurostar and more. Additionally, the exciting development of the Elizabeth Line will improve Stratford’s connection to both central London and key commuter towns in Essex and London. Thanks to the new train line (currently estimated to be open by late 2020), it will take only 7 minutes from Stratford to Liverpool Street and 18 minutes to Paddington. 

Our new East London workspace is also just 8 minutes walk away from Westfield Shopping Centre. One of the largest urban shopping centres in Europe, the centre offers restaurants, bars, entertainment and – of course – shopping facilities. To date, Westfield has generated retail sales of more than £7.4 billion, so it’s safe to say there is clearly commercial value in Stratford.

Were you to choose Stratford for your office space, you would be joining the ranks of a number of global heavy-weight brand that have already set up bases in the area. For example, Transport for London, Cancer Research, the Financial Conduct Authority and Unicef all moved to Stratford in recent years.

Get in touch today!

If you are interested in learning more about what the space has to offer, and how we can help support the growth and productivity of your brand, don’t hesitate to contact us. 

1. Bluebird, Chelsea

Located in the heart of Chelsea, the Bluebird restaurant has been a popular event venue since it opened in the 1990s. With five function rooms of varying sizes (options ranging from 32 dining guests to a standing capacity of 650 people), you can choose a set-up to suit your seasonal occasion. 

The atmosphere at this private dining space is best characterised as ‘buzzy’, combining glamorous designer decor with upbeat festivities. Everything – from the food and decorations to music and drinks – is totally in-keeping with a traditional Christmas, guaranteeing a night of warm, festive cheer.

The Bluebird is a popular choice for events all year round but especially so at Christmas… so get in quick to book your December do.

2. German Gymnasium, Kings Cross

If you’re looking to inject a touch of European flair to your work Christmas party, German Gymnasium marries classic British Victorian architecture with a menu authored by German-born chef Bjoern Wassmuth. 

For festive celebrations, you can hire out the whole formal mezzanine restaurant in all its seasonal glory. For smaller groups who are still keen for a high-brow Christmas, there is also a semi-private space available, a ground-floor Grand Cafe and an outdoor terrace – although you might want to bring a coat if opting for the latter!

The German Gymnasium is also the annual home to a truly spectacular Christmas tree, sitting snugly beneath the main hall’s 57 feet high ceiling.

3. The Conservatory & Garden Room, Barbican

Perhaps you are looking for something a touch more exotic for your Christmas bash this year? If so, the tropical plants, exotic fish and dancefloor of the Conservatory & Garden Room may tickle your festive fancy.

Suitable for parties from 150 to up to 650 people, you can either opt for the ‘dinner and dance’ package or a standing reception. Either option comes with a ready flow of Christmas drinks and winter merriment that are sure to help your team unwind after a hard-working 2019. Live music or a DJ are also included in some packages.

4. ICEBAR London, Piccadilly Circus

This next entry definitely ticks all the boxes if you’re in search of a ‘cool’ Christmas venue.

Frosty festivities at ICEBAR provide a wintery wonderland brimming with Christmas magic. The venue is split into three warm spaces for cosy conversations and one icy space – chilled to -5 degrees!

Decorated with Christmas lights, giant baubles and, you guessed it, ice sculptures; you almsot feel like you’ve stepped into Lapland itself. Capacity ranges from 25 to 270, with options for seated dining or standing with canapes.

1. Co-working centres are designed with productivity in mind

From the spacing of desks to the selection of furniture, a lot of thought and planning goes into the layout of a co-working space. Panels on the side of desks ensure that every individual worker can work on confidential projects without being overlooked. Break-out spaces are also typically kept very separate to working stations, with dedicated areas or rooms for breaks and lunches. This means that the coffee-break chatter doesn’t distract fellow co-workers who are sat at their desks.

One of the major downsides of working from home is that you end up working in an environment cluttered with personalised distractions. It is so much more difficult to concentrate when your TV, games and social media are all so readily available. There is no-one else around to hold you accountable for lapses in productivity. 

Co-working eliminates that. Business centres like Us&Co are designed, decorated and furnished in-line with the latest theories in occupational psychology. Everything from desk layout and chair selection to breakout spaces and the flow of natural light has been carefully considered to help you get the most out of your working day.

Read more:

– Why Natural Light Improves Productivity

– Why Co-Working doesn’t mean reduced working privacy

2. Schedule and routine

Overcoming the temptation to oversleep or procrastinate when you don’t have established work hours can take a substantial amount of self-discipline. Who’s going to notice if you sleep late into the morning and don’t begin working until lunchtime?

At the other end of the day, a common working-from-home trap is to continue working late into the evening. Long, laborious days are highly likely to decrease your attention span and productivity. Worse still, a study conducted by University College London found that working 55 hours or more a week increases the chances of suffering a stroke by over 30% compared to those who work the regular 40 hours or less.

Co-working, whilst still vastly more flexible that the conventional office set-up, makes it much easier to stick to a routine than working from home. You have more accountability from your fellow co-workers, not to mention somewhere to physically disconnect from the temptation of afternoon naps.

Read more:

– Are you taking breaks all wrong?

Human beings are natural socialisers. Our brains are hard-wired for interaction with other people, releasing dopamine as the direct consequence of socialising. 

Co-working far exceeds working from home when it comes to providing social opportunities. Workspaces like Us&Co know it’s important to prioritise both work and play, offering members events, breakfasts, after-work drinks and more. Co-working fosters a community that a home-worker simply wouldn’t be able to replicate.

Working-from-home induced isolation can be dangerous for a number of reasons. Firstly, from a mental health perspective, loneliness can go on to trigger depression or anxiety. Secondly, isolation from your colleges can actively damage your career progression prospects. Sadly, studies show that in many cases ‘out of sight = out of mind’.

4. Professional Meeting Locations

A significant proportion of people who work from home perform some sort of client-facing role – for example, freelance consultancy, sales or media. As such, they quite often have to meet with clients, leads, partners and investors – which is quite difficult when your only available meeting space is around the kitchen table!

Co-working spaces offer a notable advantage over this, in that they provide a professional location to host and impress. This is true for a number of reasons:

First of all, co-working buildings themselves tend to be decorated, furnished and laid out in a highly sophisticated manner, that is always going to provide a positive first impression of your brand. 

Secondly, there’s the option to book high-tech meeting rooms, equipped with sound-proofing, conference call capabilities, ergonomic chairs and whiteboards – facilities that the average home is unlikely to have.

Even if working from home is your chosen option, using co-working spaces to book external meeting rooms is always a good way to present yourself professionally.

What was Stratford like before the Olympics?

The second half of the 20th century was not kind to Stratford. De-industrialisation led to the loss of tens of thousands of jobs for Stratford inhabitants, thanks in no small part to the closure of the London Docks in the 1960s.

A particularly iconic symbol of Stratford’s industrially unloved reputation was the so-called ‘Fridge Mountain’. The 20-foot tall collection of discarded white goods on the riverbank was thought to be the biggest of its kind in Europe! 

The construction of the Stratford Olympic Park itself was a colossal undertaking. It took 46,000 workers to construct the Olympic Stadium and grounds, which had a total capacity of 80,000. Renovation even included the removal of 2,000 newts from the Olympic Park building site – along with 4 human skeletons, dating back 3000 years to the Iron Age!

The promise of Olympic prosperity was therefore a very exciting one for Stratford. The project set the stage for over 46,000 new jobs in the district, a 30% increase in rail capacity through Stratford station and over 20,000 new homes. There were also plans for three new secondary schools, 23 new GP clinics and – unsurprisingly – world-class sports and leisure facilities.

And yes, clearing ‘Fridge Mountain’ was one of the first things ticked off Stratford’s to-do list.

What was Stratford like during the Olympics?

Stratford was home to the athletes’ Olympic Village and several key sporting venues: the London Stadium, London Aquatics Centre and the Lee Valley VeloPark.The ArcelorMittal Orbit was constructed to overlook the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, an observation tower and Britain’s largest piece of public art.

During the Games fortnight, it is estimated that as many as 370,000 visitors came to the Olympic Park every single day. 10,500 athletes from 204 nations participated across 26 sports, supported by 70,000 volunteers or ‘Games Makers’. At peak hours, over 200 trains travelled into Stratford Regional Station.   

What is Stratford like now?

7 years on from the Games, post-Olympic Stratford is nearly unrecognisable compared to Stratford at the turn of the millennium. 

The Queen Elizabeth Park has been transformed into a bustling hub and great destination for tourists looking to explore the legacy of the London Olympics. The area’s population sits healthily at 51,000 and Stratford Train Station is now the 6th busiest station in Britain.

The Westfield Stratford City Shopping Centre, which opened in 2011, is one of the largest urban shopping centres in Europe. Westfield attracts 50 million yearly visitors and has so-far generated retail sales of more than £7.4 billion.

Outside of retail, there is also a thriving network of global heavy-weight companies setting up Stratford bases. Transport for London, Cancer Research, the Financial Conduct Authority, Unicef and the British Council all have a sizeable presence in the area. 

Higher education establishments like Loughborough University and University College London have invested heavily in Stratford campuses. As a result, there is a rich pool of potential talent ready to be utilised by established brands and start-ups/SMEs alike.

In a word, the Stratford business scene is thriving.

Expectations for future growth in Stratford are extremely high. 

One especially exciting area of development is the upcoming Elizabeth Line/Crossrail, which will extend as far as Reading in the West and Shenfield in the East. This will enhance Stratford’s connection to both central London and key commuter towns in Berkshire and Essex. 

The Elizabeth Line will reduce direct journeys from/to Stratford Station to:

What Are The Advantages Of Stand-Up Meetings?

1. The health benefits of standing meetings

It is hopefully no surprise that remaining seated for extended periods of time is highly problematic for your general health.

Spending too high a proportion of your working day sat down increases your chances of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and even dementia. Office-chair-potatoes also face a high risk of suffering from Deep Vein Thrombosis, a clot that forms in your leg, often the result of sitting still for too long.

And then there are the problems of posture. Days spent almost entirely at your desk or seated around a meeting table are a dangerous recipe for slumping, inevitably leading to back issues. So widespread is this, in fact, that a survey of 250 doctors ranked musculoskeletal disorders as the most common type of work-related illness.

Stand-up meetings therefore offer a well-needed respite from sitting. They allow you to stretch your legs, recharge your batteries and get your blood flowing.

2. Standing meetings are much more efficient and short

Standing meetings are a phenomenally effective way of ensuring that meetings stay short and on topic. The reason for this is because of the comparative discomfort of standing for long periods over sitting. When you are sat comfortably, it is much easier to waste time with drifting conversation. In fact, the efficiency of standing meetings is so great that studies show they last, on average, 34% less time than seated meetings.

So, if you find your meetings drifting off topic or going round in circles, getting up on your feet may be the answer.

3. Stand-up meetings encourage productivity & dynamism

Standing up during a meeting boosts the attention span and ability to provide a creative, productive contribution.

Researchers from Washington University performed a study on this phenomenon. They asked volunteers to take 30 minutes to plan a short university recruitment video. Some volunteers worked in rooms with chairs arranged around a table and some with no chairs at all.

The researchers found that volunteers who were standing during the session were more likely to share their ideas. Through recordings from sensors worn on participants wrists, the study also found that the standing volunteers were more physiologically excited during the process.

How To Run A Productive Stand-Up Meeting

Many of these benefits of a stand-up meeting are only actually advantageous if you do them right. To help you ensure that you do this, we have therefore outlined our top tips for running a productive stand-up meeting:

1. Keep it short

An hour-long stand-up meeting defeats the whole point. Not only does it mean that you’ve failed to leverage the main benefit of stand-up meetings (the way they encourage concise, productive conversations), but you’ve likely lost the attention of your participants. Whose mind wouldn’t wander after 45 minutes + on their feet? Aiming for approximately 20 minutes is ideal to get the most out of a standing meeting.

It is estimated that there are currently almost 15,000 co-working spaces around the world, as of the beginning of 2019. In the US, this equates to 2.5 million square metres. In London, arguably the co-working capital of the world, 994,000 square metres are dedicated to co-working.

What Are The Most Popular Co-Working Industries?

Co-working sees people come from all walks of life and a vast variety of industries. However, some of the most popular industries that co-workers work in are:

2. Designed To Impress

Whether you’re a start-up company or a flourishing brand, every business needs to host and impress on occasion. Sometimes it’s investors, clients, partners or potential new team-members, but it is always crucial to set the right impression.

This is something you are much more likely to achieve with pro-working rather than co-working. Pro-working spaces are often designed with sleek and sophisticated decoration, high quality furniture and with a focus on productivity and professionalism.

What’s more, pro-working meeting rooms are often of excellent quality, providing much more than the bare-minimum simple table and chairs. You can impress your attendees with high-tech ‘plug-in & play’ presentation set-ups, whiteboards, lots of natural light and even sound-reducing devices for added privacy.

3. On-Site Management

Much like how 5-star hotels provide concierge service, a helpful reception desk and a team of behind-the-scenes cleaners, caterers and operations staff, you can expect a similar level of dedicated on-site service from pro-working centres.

Co-working centres are often quite autonomous, without the regular presence of the provider. By contrast, pro-working work spaces are likely to have team members on-site most days of the week.

Us&Co members and guests, for example, are greeted by our friendly receptionist. There are then always team-members on-hand for any questions or concerns. You will often find us enjoying the facilities ourselves, relaxing in the break-out spaces or working from a hot desk.

4. Set-up For Long Term Partnerships

Pro-working companies don’t just see their members as desks to be filled or names on a database, they really care about forming lasting partnerships and relationships with the people that come through their door.

Here at Us&Co, we are personally invested in the success of our members, and thrive on seeing businesses grow and flourish within our own walls. We therefore design our entire pro-working ethos around providing our members with the active support, facilities and partnership that will help brands achieve their goals.

Whether it’s networking assistance, introducing you to other members that we know will compliment your objectives, or simply checking in over Friday drinks, the pro-working approach allows us to feel as though we are part of your extended team. Your wins are our wins.

1. How office layout ensures privacy

From the spacing of desks to the selection of furniture, a lot of thought and planning goes into the layout of a co-working space. Panels on the side of desks ensure that every individual worker can work on confidential projects without being overlooked. Break-out spaces are also typically kept very separate to working stations, with dedicated areas or rooms for breaks and lunches. This means that the coffee-break chatter doesn’t distract fellow co-workers who are sat at their desks.

2. Secure workspace buildings

Despite a misguided perception to the contrary, co-working spaces don’t allow just anybody to  ‘come-and-go’ as they please. Shared offices often adopt fob-card entry systems, door codes or networked entry key cards. This means that only paying members can gain entrance to the co-working space.

Similarly important is the efforts put in place to protect co-workers’ personal belongings. From dedicated bike storage space to personal lockable cabinets, co-working doesn’t have to mean the hassle of taking everything with you every time you leave the office.

3. Secure internet connection

Privacy and security are no longer essential in just a physical sense, but are also crucial from a digital perspective. Compared to consumer and retail online fraud, which have been declining in recent years, cybercrime against businesses in the UK has grown by a worrying 63% since early 2017.

It is therefore a growing priority for co-working spaces and shared offices to provide their members with secure, fast internet connection. For example, all At Us & Co members have access to our super fast and highly secure WiFi, the cost of which is fully included in the up-front membership fees. We have a 1gb resilient internet line that allows for an average upload/download speed of 70mbs per second, meaning that members can surf with confidence.

4. Private meetings rooms

Privacy in co-working spaces doesn’t end with the work you do while sat at your desk. Many co-working brands offer private bookable meeting rooms, specially designed to keep your discussions among your team only. Sound-proofing panels are often installed on the walls of meeting rooms to stop your conversation spilling out. Similarly, frosted glass doors and windows are a great addition to a private meeting room, preventing anyone from seeing in whilst still allowing for the essential flow of natural light.