New, flexible terms for stylish business space helps start-ups and growing companies during economic uncertainty.

For companies that are planning to start-up or expand, these are uncertain times. When looking for new workspace and offices, few entrepreneurs want to sign long leases or be tied into overly small or overly large premises when they do not know what the future holds. The stylish Thames Innovation Centre in Erith is playing a key role in helping local companies grow by offering some of the most flexible terms available. 

With an 'Easy in, Easy Out' approach, the Thames Innovation Centre offers smart serviced offices and workspaces without the usual onerous legal obligations. In addition to this, they also have a policy of providing additional office space when a company wishes to expand and an agreement to go back to their original size office should a company wish to have a period of contraction (assuming availability at the time).   

"For companies that are reviewing their current office space or workshop requirements or thinking of starting up, the concept of serviced offices is something we would advise them to explore," said Lesley Anne Rubenstein, Chief Executive at the Thames Innovation Centre. "For a fixed fee each month, they can expect a modern eco-friendly office and access to such facilities as our conference room, meeting rooms on a pay-as-you-go basis, as well as an in-house coffee shop, and yet be free of such overheads as service charges, business rates, line rentals, IT infrastructure and business support. With the current talk of an economic slow down, we are now seeing companies that are considering down-sizing and are exploring the many benefits of this kind of business location. Indeed enquiries from tenants at Canary Wharf have started to come our way, as some clients want to expand but can't afford to do so due to costs in these more expensive locations."  

The Thames Innovation Centre is a stylish £8.2 million pound eco building, part funded by the European Union to help develop business in the Bexley region. It was recently host to a hi-tech conference that attracted some of the world's leading developers of microprocessor based development tools. In addition to its environmental credentials, stylish design and its impressive atrium, the Thames Innovation Centre boasts a broad range of office sizes and workshop spaces. Business facilities include video conferencing, an IT training room, a fast Internet infrastructure and a fully equipped modern conference room. 

"To make things really easy for a person to start up on their own, we offer a 'hot desk' shared office suite," said Rubenstein. "For an all-inclusive fee, we provide a desk, Internet access, a business address and all the other benefits of the Thames Innovation Centre. For many of our clients it's the architecture that they value most. They like the stylish design, especially when entertaining clients and holding meetings with industry partners, and they like the creative vibe that comes from the glazed office designs and main atrium.  Indeed, one of our start-up tenants was recently awarded three large contracts due to its being located in such a stylish building.  It made them look more like an established company than a start-up." 

The Thames Innovation Centre has also found itself benefiting from the London Congestion Charge. Being outside the congestion zone is seen as an important business advantage to many companies, making the Thames Innovation Centre an attractive and more cost effective business location. One tenant has found it easier to relocate out to the Thames Innovation Centre and have employees travel into the City on the tube when meeting with clients, claiming that this new arrangement saves employees a lot of lost time due to traffic queues and also saving on fees to access congestion areas and parking. 

"We suspect there will be a lot of City companies reviewing how they do business and where they are located, especially with the increasing cost of transportation." said Rubenstein. "Being close to EuroStar at Ebbsfleet and the M25, the Thames Innovation Centre offers good access to Europe and the rest of UK, so for companies that are looking for improved access to their markets we believe that our location is yet another important benefit."   

Contact: Lesley Anne Rubenstein, Chief Executive
E-mail: mailto:space@thamesinnovationcentre.comTel
Tel: 020 8320 1000