Author Archives: The Brentano Suite

As a small business, it’s critical to know when to hire a new employee and to act in a timely manner. It can be difficult to justify whether or not to hire an additional member of staff, particularly for early-stage businesses. So, we’re taking a closer look at the benefits of hiring a new employee as you grow. 

Here Are 4 Reasons Why You Should Hire A New Employee: 

1. Improves Employee Morale

Employee retention is vital for business growth, and having staff who feel frustrated from a heavy workload can be problematic. Taking on new staff at the right time will prevent your workforce from feeling stressed or overworked if additional tasks are delegated to a new hire. 

2. Brings New Ideas To Your Business

New employees will bring previous experiences into the new role. This can be an incredibly valuable asset to any business, as new faces with fresh ideas can boost your company’s productivity and creativity as a whole. 

3. Increase The Skill Set Of Your Workforce

Expanding your current service offering is a proven way to obtain successful company growth. But this won’t be possible without the correct specialist staff to do so. Hiring a new employee with a specific skill set, not yet present in your existing workforce, will enable your company to remain competitive whilst improving the talent of your team.

4. Builds Up Capacity For Gaining New Business

Time is precious for small business owners. Hiring a new employee will help delegate workload away from other members of the team, allowing them more time to focus on delivering a better quality of service to your clients. As a business owner this can also free up significant resources to help you focus on driving business growth.

The Brentano Suite: 

Does it sound like it might be time to hire?

Find the right fit for your growing team with The Brentano Suite. We offer fully furnished, local office suites of different sizes depending on the stage of your business. Our customer service team is on hand to accommodate your employees as your company scales.  Enquire via the form on our website to find your nearest location. 

13% of the UK Government’s total expenditure was used to fund grants pre-pandemic. Researching grant options can be an overwhelming process, especially for small businesses that might not have done so before. So, we’re breaking down what benefits grants have for local businesses and how you can obtain one in Hertfordshire. 

What Are Business Grants And What Are The Main Benefits?

A grant is a source of finance for a business usually provided by a Government or private organisation. Usually, it’s designed to help a business fund a particular project or achieve a specific goal. What makes them different from other finance streams is that they don’t require paying back over time. More often than not, small business grants are obtained on a regional level through local bodies. 

The benefits of grants for small businesses include retaining full ownership of your business, not having to pay the money back and reducing start-up costs. These might include financial planning support, legal advice or marketing and promotional support, to name a few.  

However, many grants come with strict eligibility guidelines. These are usually based on industry, location and business size. Therefore, thorough research is required to determine if a grant will apply to your business and its needs!

How To Find Grant Information: 

When researching grant options available to your business, these resources are a great place to start and can be easily filtered by region: 

• UK Grant Finder
• GOV.UK Business Finance Finder 
• Local Enterprise Partnerships Portal 

Small Business Grants in Hertfordshire

If you are a small business located in Hertfordshire you might be eligible for one of the following grants, depending on your industry: 

The Hertfordshire Start-up Programme 

12 hours of free business support worth £1,400 including workshops, networking and more. The programme also offers grants from £500 – £3,000 to help cover start-up costs. This programme is available to any resident of Hertfordshire starting a business. 

Help to Grow Management Course 

A bespoke management course at the University of Hertfordshire which is 90% government-funded and open to local business owners of over one year. 

Low Carbon Innovation Fund

A £3m investment initiative by the Hertfordshire LEP to support SMEs who are reducing greenhouse gas by developing innovative technologies, products or services. 

Get Growing 2

Local business support and grants of up to £3,000 for SMEs in Hertfordshire with 5 or more full-time employees. This scheme also offers a growth action plan including tips on recruitment, digital strategy and product development. 

The Brentano Suite Elstree

The Brentano Suite operates luxury serviced offices and meeting rooms across North London and Hertfordshire. Our Elstree location provides businesses in Hertfordshire with a flexible serviced office solution to help businesses grow. 

Watch a video tour to find out more or get in touch with our team today. 

Hybrid Working is a flexible approach that allows employees to split their time between working in the office and working from home. So, what are the benefits of a Hybrid Office for employees and how can business owners adapt their own office to this working model?

The Benefit Of A Hybrid Office

Flexible working has become a sought after item for staff in full-time employment, with most employees expecting to work remotely at least three times per week.

By providing an emphasis on better work-life balance, reducing the commuters cost and desire for a greater ability to focus with fewer distractions, staff productivity and motivation levels have shown to increase from a working from home environment following the pandemic. 

A hybrid compromise will provide a collaboration-focused office environment, ensuring that human connection, knowledge sharing and staff interaction are still maintained. 

How To Adapt Your Office To Hybrid Working

In order for any type of Hybrid Office to be introduced, business owners should ensure they spend time implementing measures to be successful.

 1. Define The Policy

 The exact formula of a Hybrid Office will look different for each company. Some business owners might introduce a flexible system with more freedom for their employees, whilst other organisations could look at dedicated days for their staff to work remotely. Communicating this system clearly to your employees will allow for a smooth adaptation to a hybrid working environment.

 2. Provide The Technology

It’s not just about making sure your staff have access to a work laptop or mobile, it’s essential to provide them with the means to collaborate and communicate without needing to be in the office. Embracing the best applications, tools and technology will allow for teams to thrive in a Hybrid working environment.

3. Adapt The Workspace

There will still need to be a suitable environment for staff to remain productive, but with more team members working remotely, a Hybrid Office requires fewer desks and a smaller sized space. Business owners may look to downsize to a fully serviced location with flexible office sizes.

4. Stay Connected

Company culture is an important factor in any successful business and many employees often won’t cross paths in a hybrid office due to their schedule. Ensuring regular social opportunities for your staff will build togetherness in your teams, providing important human connection and interaction to result in a positive company culture.

The Brentano Suite

The Brentano Suite provides serviced office solutions across North London and Hertfordshire. Our offices come with access to meeting rooms and flexible layouts suitable to businesses looking to implement hybrid working.

Please get in touch to find out more or head to our latest news section to hear from our tenants.

Although traditionally the ‘place to be’, London has the highest rent prices for office space in Europe. We’re taking a closer look at where these costs come from and how business owners can minimise them when looking for new office space.

Where Do Typical Office Costs Come From?

When you see the perfect office space, it’s easy to focus on the rent price. In reality, there are other costs to factor in. If you opt for a traditional office space in London, you’ll need to think about utilities, office management, cleaning, internet, furnishings, decoration, and more. 

There are also costs associated with making the space suitable for guests, whether those are clients, partners, investors, or others. This might involve having large enough meeting rooms, a comfortable and well-decorated waiting area, and reception staff.

What’s more, if you decide to scale up or down, you might incur moving or expansion costs, including the time your employees need to take away from their day-to-day so you can make the necessary changes.

 However, choosing serviced offices takes away many of these additional costs, meaning businesses can focus on running their day-to-day activities (more on this below).

Reducing The Cost Of London Office Space

1. Make a list of must-haves

Determining what’s most important will help you focus your search. You can gain a realistic idea of which spaces will fit within your budget and make sure you don’t splurge on less important features or miss crucial ones.

This might include local amenities, layout possibilities, internet speeds, transport links, parking, meeting room size, and scalability options.

2. Consider a serviced office

Serviced office spaces come fully furnished, so you don’t need to spend time and money on décor. They also have fixed bills, so you know exactly what you’re paying each month. Ongoing maintenance is taken care of, so your company faces fewer unexpected costs.

What’s more, serviced offices usually include reception services; there is someone on hand to greet your guests, answer queries, and manage post. This not only takes the burden away from your team but adds value by creating a seamless and professional experience.

3. Choose a local London office space

Central London might seem like the best place to be. But moving to local offices can significantly reduce the cost of rent. What’s more, working close to home can be a very attractive option for employees.

While you might not pay for your employees’ trip to the office, it’s something that they take into consideration. A recent survey of 500 UK workers showed that almost half plan to stay away from offices because of the high cost of commuting.

The Brentano Suite

At The Brentano Suite, we offer serviced office suites in North London and Elstree, making work easier and more comfortable for everyone back in the office. Your office is a reflection of your business. That’s why our office suites are finished to the highest standards.

Find out more about our serviced office suites and meeting rooms.

Last year, there were around 1.9 million freelancers in the UK alone. With so much freelance talent out there, it can be difficult to decide where to look. We’ve created a quick guide with details of several well-known freelance websites to help you start hiring.

Is Hiring Freelance Talent Right For You?

Freelancers can help fill skill gaps in a flexible way. Businesses can hire quickly, as and when they need, and for how long they need. This means that freelance talent provides a scalable option for businesses that are growing or changing.

What’s more, freelancers also span a multitude of sectors at a range of levels, so businesses can work with highly specialised or entry-level talent.

However, it’s always a good idea to consider whether freelancers are the right fit for any role. For example, is there a steep learning curve involved in the job? Do you need someone who blends seamlessly into your company culture and provides long-term work? If so, a permanent member of staff may be more equipped to help.

Choosing The Right Freelance Websites

If you do decide to hire a freelancer, there are plenty of platforms to help. The problem is, you might find yourself spoilt for choice from the overwhelming selection of freelance websites available. We’ve rounded up details of a selection of well-known sites to get you started.

It’s always a good idea to make sure you’re happy that the freelance website you choose is legitimate, secure, and works for you. Please note, these are not recommendations.

 1. Upwork

Upwork is probably one of the most well-known freelance websites. Businesses can choose to have short- or longer-term contracts, which can then be divided into milestones. This means the hirer pays periodically throughout the project as work is completed.

You can find freelancers from a wide range of sectors here, along with ratings from previous jobs they have completed. Upwork’s homepage shows what they believe their freelance website’s key selling points to be:

• Proof of quality
• No cost until you hire
• Safe and secure

 2. People Per Hour

People Per Hour says it “connects clients to expert freelancers who are available to hire by the hour or project”. Businesses can post a project or search for a freelancer directly, based on what they need (i.e. skill, location, hourly rate).

Similar to Upwork, the funds are released to the freelancer once you are happy with the work delivered.

People Per Hour’s homepage highlights the following benefits:

• Get matched with expert freelancers in minutes
• Dedicated 24/7 customer service team
• Money back guarantee and anti-fraud protection

3. Toptal

Toptal works a little differently from the two freelance websites listed above. The platform focuses on listing only the best freelancers (what they refer to as the top 3% of freelance talent). Rather than a marketplace, they describe themselves as an exclusive network.

Toptal’s homepage gives an insight into their selling points:

• Hire quickly
• The top 3%
• Leading the future of work
• A level above

 4. Fiverr

Similar to Upwork and People Per Hour, Fiverr offers freelance services from a wide range of backgrounds. You can search for the right freelancer, read reviews, and share your requirements, starting from (as the name suggests) $5.

Fiver describes its benefits as:

• The best for every budget
• Quality work done quickly
• Protected payment
• 24/7 support

 5. Linkedin, Indeed, etc.

Freelancers don’t uniquely look at freelance platforms. You might find that you have great luck advertising through a more traditional method, such as Linkedin. If you choose this route, it’s important to state that the position is freelance and give an idea of the workload involved so that only truly interested candidates apply.

The Brentano Suite

Flexible businesses need flexible office spaces to match. If you’re looking for a high-quality office space, The Brentano Suite is here to help. We offer fully furnished, local suites, with meeting rooms, virtual office services, and more.

Watch a video tour to find out more or get in touch with our team.