Community Led Local Development (CLLD) is seeking to support projects in the Coast to Coast area of Cornwall, that will offer new, and existing, businesses much needed flexible working spaces.
“This spring we’re looking for projects that will develop or refurbish new workspace here in Coast to Coast,” explained programme coordinator Nolwenn Baot.
“Spaces that would make an ideal hot-desking facility or a small industrial unit that might provide space for local businesses.”
Research has suggested that there is ongoing demand for communal co-working facilities, fuelled by the prevalence of entrepreneurs in the region.
Baot added: “There are benefits from such facilities, for example increased productivity over homeworking, the ability to exchange ideas, network, gain business referrals, and of course minimise overheads.”
Projects that will restore natural/heritage buildings and offer them an economically viable future are also sought. These might take the form of a community or historic building that could be given a new lease of life as an innovative workspace.
CLLD supports businesses and people to gain funding via The European Development fund and C&IoS Growth Programme. This funding makes a difference to communities, helping individuals gain confidence and skills, and enabling local businesses to grow.
“What will really excite us are projects that, with a little bit of investment, will create new economic assets in this area,” said Baot.
Submissions will need to meet a series of criteria and help deliver outputs; details of these can be found here.
Workspaces can have a big influence on corporate culture. An uncomfortable office can disgruntle employees and distract them from their duties, which can, in turn, result in a low quality of work, high staff turnover and poorer overall success for the business.
In a previous survey, desks, chairs and temperature control were identified as the most important physical features of an office. The majority of respondents—85%—considered the design of the workplace to be important.
In a desk-based job, it’s easy to let clutter take over and to develop bad posture—and these factors can affect concentration. To stimulate creativity and complete the ‘productivity jigsaw’, businesses should invest time and funds into forming the perfect office set-up.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SPACE
Stacks of used notebooks, tangled wires and dirty mugs can easily overcrowd a desk. This can lead to poor organisation and affect motivation. But a clear space can often result in a clear mind. In a previous study, 13% of office workers said clearing clutter would improve productivity.
Office space can be made more efficient by storing documents in an offsite storage facility and keeping cables hidden with cable baskets that attach to the underside of a desk or cable spines which run from the desk down to floor-level sockets.
Martine Robins, director at HR Dept, says: “It is important to understand how people like to work or are expected to work. Consider whether there is a need for a ‘clear desk policy’? Certainly, with GDPR, not having secure facilities for personal information could result in a data breach.”
Although the opportunity to work from home is desirable for many, it isn’t always suitable for every style of working. It can close down opportunities for group discussion and cause problems that could be easily resolved with a quick face-to-face conversation.
Martine Robins adds: “Individuals need to know that they have the right outlook to successfully work remotely. For some people, the lack of colleagues and regular interaction can be isolating yet for others it’s a relief to not have the distraction.”
Forming ideas can also be a much more productive and creative process when undertaken in meetings rather than over email.
However, a comfortable office environment can provide the benefits of remote working without disrupting the office culture. This can be achieved by creating:
a quiet working area
a relaxed break room
flexible workspaces
Previous research showed that one in five office workers find having space to relax at work is the key to productivity.
COMFORTABLE WORKSTATIONS
Office jobs commonly involve sitting at a desk in front of a computer screen for the majority of the day. Without proper care this could lead to bad posture, back pain and poor circulation.
“Comfort is a factor of the overall productivity ‘jigsaw’,” Martine Robins continues. “Poor posture is a big contributory factor to joint issues and with the advent of more technology, this will increase. It is already being seen with ‘tech neck’ from staring at screens for too long and with little movement.”
Companies can introduce adjustable monitor arms and laptop stands that can adapt to each employee’s height to prevent neck and back strain. Sit-stand desks also encourage staff to work from standing for a portion of the day. Previous research found that using a sit-stand desk can boost job performance.
Martine Robins adds: “Desks should be set at the correct height for individuals to aid productivity rather than hinder it. This is often overlooked, with little appreciation to ensure it is ergonomically designed to prevent injuries and meet health and safety requirements. Sit-down meetings are reportedly 34% longer than stand-up meetings.
AN OVERALL POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT
The general atmosphere of a workplace can interfere with employee relationships and quality of work. Although open-plan offices are a popular design format, they can often create issues with disruptive noise and temperature disputes.
Martine Robins says: “Trying to keep everyone happy where office temperatures are concerned is probably the biggest problem in open-plan offices now. But many of the air conditioning systems are becoming more sophisticated and easier to control at an individual level provided it has been invested in from the outset.
“Individuals have different thresholds in considering what is acceptable or unacceptable levels of noise. However, it is an obvious distraction and has to be monitored.”
Lighting can also impact a person’s productivity. In a previous study, just over a third of respondents said insufficient lighting would negatively affect their work performance.
However, exposure to natural light can improve alertness, performance and overall comfort. Artificial lighting can even be adjusted throughout the day to replicate daylight. However, bright task lighting is often preferred for focus areas.
UTILISE OFFICE DÉCOR
A smartly decorated office can inspire and energise employees. A colourful space can spark imaginative ideas, while a fresh and minimalist design can help staff concentrate.
Martine Robins adds: “A great home office that has all of your comforts with peace and quiet is appealing to some people but anathema to others.
“Try to plan the office by taking into account some of the [employee] suggestions where possible and constantly communicate what can or cannot be achieved and why. This avoids assumptions being made and resentment from forming.”
The comfort of an office isn’t usually noticeable unless it’s poor, which is hard to ignore. A workspace has the potential to support or distract staff. To fulfil their true business potential, companies should invest in an office design that promotes productivity and creativity.
Poor office ergonomics have had a negative effect on the physical health of 47.7% of workers, research shows.
An independent survey carried out by office ergonomics and power supplier CMD asked professionals: “Has your office set-up affected your physical health?” The most common ailment was backache, attracting 18.99% of the votes. Migraines and headaches were another common complaint, affecting one in 10 workers.
According to ‘Britian’s Healthiest Workplace’ survey conducted by Vitality Health, employees lost 35.6 days of productive time in 2019 due to time off sick or under-performance while in the workplace because of ill-health (presenteeism). In monetary terms, this translates as £77.5 billion a year for the UK economy.
Jonathan Griffin, marketing co-ordinator at CMD, said: “Sick staff reportedly cost British firms billions of pounds each year, be that through sick pay or presenteeism. It is likely that some of these health complaints—in particular back and neck problems—will have manifested within the workplace through poor ergonomics.
“Even when employers have taken the step to invest in ergonomics their efforts can be wasted if they fail to show their staff how to adjust the furniture and fittings to optimise their workstation for their own requirements.”
Those in the 25 to 34 age bracket suffer the most with backache, headaches and eyestrain, according to the survey. Neck ache was the main concern for those aged 35 to 44 while repetitive strain injuries (RSI)/carpal tunnel syndrome most affected those between 45 and 54.
Male respondents complained more of posture-related conditions, such as back or neck ache, whereas women suffered more with headaches or eyestrain. Carpal tunnel syndrome was also more common among female workers.
Older workers were significantly less affected by workplace ailments than younger workers, with only 35% of over-65s reporting any health problems as a result of the office set-up, compared with 59% of 25- to 35-year-olds.
These findings suggest that older employees may be more aware of the benefits of ergonomics and take time to ensure that their workstation is set up to suit their needs.
Hot desking—typically a more popular way of working for younger employees—may also be a contributing factor to workplace aches and pains.
Jonathan concluded: “Hot-desking and flexible working can also play a big part in employees developing aches and strains as they are less likely to take the time to optimise their workspace if they are using it on a temporary basis. There is no such thing as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ seating arrangement, employees of different heights, weights and sizes will all naturally require a different working set-up, and as our survey results show, taking a few moments to make small adjustments could make a big difference to the health and wellbeing of employees.”
We were delighted to host our official launch event at the stunning Carbis Bay Hotel last week, on Thursday 3rd October. Take a look at our highlights video below for a glimpse of all the action!
New research from pollister GQR states that Flexi-time is currently unavailable to over half (58%) of the UK workforce, a startling figure which rises to nearly two-thirds (64%) for working-class occupations, despite overwhelming research suggesting that flexible working conditions deliver benefits for both parties.
Research from ETZ Payments sheds light on the increasing demand for flexible working, with 58% of British workers (17.9 million people) stating that the most popular method of working in the future will be flexible working. 43% of Brits also stated that flexible hours are the most important thing to them when choosing a job, rather than salary concerns.
Furthermore, Harvard Business School recently found that flexi-workers were markedly more productive when carrying out the same work as traditional office-bound employees, while Deloitte’s Global Millennial Survey 2019 found that Millennials and Generation Z workers may stay in a job for more than five years if their employers are flexible about where and when they work.
Ultimately, it is clear that a huge proportion of the UK workforce realises the benefits of flexible working. It is now time that the employers start to cotton on. Nick Woodward, CEO of ETZ Payments, offers the following commentary:
“Flexible working often allows employees to balance work, hobbies and caring for family members and also allows them to work when they are most productive. If companies want to retain and attract the best talent across all sectors, they need to ensure that they are offering flexible working as an option. Not only do they need to offer it, but they need to make certain that they have the technology in place that allows employers to pay flexible workers on time and without error.”
Looking for a great flexible workspace or perhaps have some space to rent out? Visit Lacuna Business now.
Cornwall is continually building a reputation as the place that does things differently. And now an innovative Newquay-based organisation, Mor Workspace, is providing the ultimate in forward-thinking working environments with the launch of a unique, market-leading Cornish ‘pro-working’ concept – with an array of spaces and services to match.
The new Mor pro-working concept is based around four key cornerstones: Pro-ductivity, Pro-activeness, Pro-fessionalism and Pro-lifestyle. The four blend to create the ultimate concept for Cornish working culture and life outside of the office space, a ‘work hard/play hard and thrive’ mentality that the Mor team is leading amongst its growing community of tenants, members and wider network.
An evolution of hot desking and co-working, ‘pro-working’ is establishing itself in cities as an add-on to shared office spaces with a range of first class spaces and service options. However, Mor Workspace has evolved this thinking, creating a new Cornish pro-working model that delivers for individuals and companies of all shapes, sizes and types, and also provides a unique focus on out-of-work ‘pro-lifestyle’ benefits and balance, which is why most people choose to relocate or stay in Cornwall.
Set within a geographically blessed location including great transport links, walking distance to shops and Newquay’s golden beaches with ample onsite parking and private green spaces, Mor offers a set of private office spaces, all leading off of the stylish open co-working desks and spaces, the Mor team has added a menu of pro-ductivity, and pro-fessionalism orientated business services including a virtual receptionist, virtual office services, a private phone room, a selection of private meeting spaces and use of conference and event space.
The Mor team can also access a range of admin, IT, research, management and consultancy services for its members as part of its pro-working concept and can also provide business start-up and funding support via its relationship with Acceleration Through Innovation and other innovation support teams.
However, Mor’s new pro-working solutions are as much about what the community members can experience outside of normal working hours and are all about taking advantage of the stunning surroundings. The new pro-lifestyle community options include kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, surfing, sea swimming and snorkelling sessions as well as golf meets, all enjoyed with MOR members favourable discounts with local organisations. The ‘MOR’ WhatsApp Groups also regularly provide social and local recommendations to all new and existing members. Mor also offers a range of on-site pro-lifestyle options and opportunities including a surf drying and storage room, regular car valeting services, visiting street food vans and yoga and fitness classes.
A pioneer in Cornish hot desking for over three years, Mor Workspace now has over 2,000 people within its extended community, with over 50 working from its base in Newquay. Most Mor members work flexibly from the space, with members and clients commuting from London, Bristol and Leeds, and the continual collaboration outputs between members both locally, and across the country, are impressive.
Newquay Airport has increased its flights from major UK cities, including business capital London (4 flights per day into Heathrow) which has helped MOR to widen its connection to those main cities, enabling visitors to work near the coast when it suits them.
Mor’s new Cornish pro-working concept evolved after founder Matt Miller noticed an interesting transition in how both their regular, and occasional, community members were utilising, and benefiting from, their initial hot desking, and small office, spaces. As a result, Mor has honed and developed a new set of tailored services, and matching larger office spaces, within their workspace building to provide the ultimate mix in private and collaborative open spaces for all types of businesses and individuals, backed-up by the unique set of supportive Mor services.
Matt Miller says, “The concept of hot desking swiftly evolved into co-working, and a number of city-based workspaces are now offering their version of pro-working. However, in Cornwall, we see the majority of our Mor colleagues sharing the belief that the ultimate luxury is found in time, and in embracing what we have now termed a pro-lifestyle, both in and out of work. That’s why we’ve innovated both our extensive open shared space, and our private working office options, as well as created a unique menu of Mor Cornish pro-working supportive services and opportunities.
Matt continues, “The other major transition that we’ve seen is the move from co-working spaces being used only by start-up, creative or tech businesses or individuals. What we’ve witnessed over the past three years is a number of companies who want to have a slice of those pro-lifestyle and networking benefits – on either a full or part time basis. So here at Mor we have a full range of professional services, businesses and organisations of all sizes working from our private office spaces, but all enjoying, and benefitting from, the pro-active surrounding services, community culture and set-up. This is why we’re launching Cornish pro-working, as we see this already in action in our extensive workspace.”
You’ve been given the task of event planning but where should you start?
If you’re not an event planner, the job of organising an event can often be quite overwhelming. You may find yourself putting together to-do lists, searching the Internet for ideas and spending a good amount of time trying to find a venue that can accommodate your needs, suit your budget and is in the right location.
We’ve been organising events across the UK for the last 6 years here at Hazel Parsons, everything from Collection Launches, Film Retreats, Awards Evenings, Christmas Festivals, Weddings, Trade Expo’s and Business Celebrations, so believe us when we say there are tried and tested techniques that ‘WILL’ make your event planning so much easier.
We work with event venues across Devon & Cornwall training the owner’s and their staff in wedding & event management and our team have experience in planning over 800 events. The tips we are about to share, are the foundations and initial building blocks for any event no matter how large or small, we use them day in and day out as part of the event planning process.
So here are our TOP 5 TIPS to get you well and truly started with planning your event.
One: Set yourself targets!
Always start with a clear idea of what you want to achieve. In this instance, what is the event? What would you like the end result to be? This will allow you to be targeted with how you plan out the event and source suppliers and budget both time and resources.
Two: Check dates…
When would you like the event to happen and where is your preferred location? Make a list of dates that would potentially work. If you’re planning a celebration event avoid other public celebrations like Fathers Day, Christmas Eve or The World Cup Finals. If you are planning a business event, do a search for business events in your County on that date, check what comes up. Ensure you pick a couple of viable dates that don’t clash with your competitor’s events. You want your event to be well attended, give yourself the best possible chance.
Three: Decide where you would like the event to take place
You need to have a good idea of your ideal location and then put together a tick list of what you NEED and what you WANT the venue. If the venue is your place of work or private house then make a list of the facilities you have and any additional that you may need. If you are sourcing the venue this will allow you to create a list of your top 3 to visit and request quotes.
Four: Setup an event spreadsheet
This will be probably one of the most important things you do. This spreadsheet will allow you to manage time, jobs, budgets, suppliers and planning. It doesn’t need to be anything crazy, often simple is best. Have a sheet with the event timeline and tasks with who is completing them and when, a sheet with the event day setup and timeline on for you to fill in as you go, a sheet with the supplier types you need then populate it with contact details, quotes and final pricing and a final sheet for the budget. You can prioritise jobs by highlighting them in the timeline with urgent in a different colour, for quick reference.
Five: Budget
If you are planning this event for you, make sure you set yourself a realistic budget to work with. If your boss has given you this role, ask them what the budget is and try to manage their expectations with the budget you have been given. Allocate out the budget to the various elements of the event that have costs associated with them. If you aren’t sure how much something is likely to be, request quotes. You will soon get an idea of whether it will work within your budget or if the event design may need to change. Keep the budget up to date, putting in actual figures as and when you have them.
These 5 simple steps will allow you to start planning and organising your event, there will be many other elements you may need to consider, these will stand you in good stead.
Hot desking, flexible working, agile working – however you want to term it, it is an increasingly popular way to work in Cornwall.
While official numbers are hard to come by, there is a core number of micro businesses in Cornwall working from home. And while this suits much of the time, working from home can be a lonely old business; staring at those four walls with the just the cat for company.
Hot desking gives a sole trader the opportunity to thrive under a working environment, often encouraging social interaction and creativity in the workspace meeting fellow human beings. The impact that just collaborating and engaging with other small businesses can have should never be underestimated.
Flexible workspace is pretty much what it says on the tin – flexible. It could be for three or four days a week, or just for three or four hours. Business needs come in different shapes and sizes and this kind of workspace can perfectly cater for them. For homeworkers, hot desking really can offer the best of both worlds.
Flexible workspace can also provide a professional front for your business. Organising client meetings in your home may not be ideal or convey the right message, while meeting in your local Starbucks or Costa is great, but only up to a point. Having a meeting in a professional office set-up on the other hand is a far more conducive environment to sealing the deal.
Then there’s the cost consideration. You might not want to work in your back room, but as a one man or woman band, taking on a full-time office would just not be practical.
And flip over to the other side of the coin, perhaps you are a larger business with spare desk or meeting room capacity. What better way to free that up and generate some extra income? It may be a cliché, but it truly could become a win/win situation.
Hot desking offers a myriad of opportunities that are certainly worth exploring, and if we’ve managed to convince you, take a look at some great spaces with hot desks here… Easy, hey?
It is easy to sink into the familiarity of a routine. That same commute into work, the same bitter coffee, the same way of going about your work and even way of thinking – it is what you are used to, it feels safe and comfortable. For some, the interruption that a team away day causes can be distressing however the benefits of breaking free from the familiar can be the key to success.
Something as simple as collaborating in a different space can make a big difference. By removing the four familiar walls of the office and replacing them with open space or even the great outdoors can help to boost creative thinking. Coming up with creative solutions on an away day sends the message that creativity is welcome back in the workplace. Being out of the office creates a more relaxed environment, promoting openness and honesty, and is a good opportunity for feedback and reflection. This will all feed into the workplace culture becoming more creative and open, it may be just what your team need.
Team building activities are perfect for building trusting relationships. Some activities can leave individuals feeling out of their comfort zone, the helping hand of a supportive team to them get through an experience will build lasting trust. Through team building activities team members can gain a better understanding of one another, including strengths, weakness as well as how to better communicate and work collaboratively.
Arranging for a different space that includes a nice lunch or a relaxing overnight stay for a meeting can also be used as a reward. It can become a real motivator for a team to work together and achieve their objectives.
Switching up the work environment, whether it is for an away day or for a meeting can teach a team or an individual a lot about themselves and how they work. Could something that really worked in the new space be implemented back in the office, an example could be going outside to brainstorm or a new feedback process. Did a piece of tech in the new space make a big difference by helping a presentation run effortlessly, could we get one of these back at the office? Or what coffee do they have here, it’s great!
If you are looking for the perfect space for your next team away day or meeting, give our platform a go. Browse through the listed spaces, find all the details on size, capacity, amenities and layout at a glance. Follow the link to email the host direct… It’s that easy!
If you are looking for a meeting space out of the office, you first need to consider the purpose that the venue will serve. Are you looking for an environment that promotes creative thinking or do you need somewhere that will impress a potential client?
Technology may be one of the main factors that influence your decision – does the venue include up to date tech to support your meeting, workshop or conference? Wi-Fi is included at most venues and is often considered essential as your guests will be expecting to connect their phones, tablets and laptops. Each space featured here on Lacuna Business will inform you of the technology that is available as well as the Wi-Fi situation!
It may seem like this should go without saying, however it is important that the venue can meet your capacity requirements, and meet this with ease, not at a stretch. From a small board room layout up to a 100-delegate theatre style setup, we can show you a venue’s maximum capacity at a glance.
How you look after the attendees of your meeting or event will have a lasting impact on your reputation. If your event runs over a meal time it is a good idea to provide some food, not only does this reflect your generous nature but it will also help keep the attendees’ energy levels up. It is important to be inclusive here, think about dietary requirements and details such as providing a milk alternative for coffee for example. We at Lacuna Business have done all the hard work here for you, each venue listing will provide details on the catering that can be provided for you.
The deciding factor on a venue can often be reputation. If you are unfamiliar with a venue or just want some more information head to their social media accounts where you should be able to find lots of helpful reviews. TripAdvisor is also a good tool to use here, being the world’s largest travel site containing over 702 million reviews.
Last but not least, the functionality and design of the space is crucial. If you are hosting a workshop or networking event, break out space can be brilliant for group work and for facilitating meaningful conversations. The ambience of the space is important; are you looking for something quirky to promote thinking outside the box, something sleek to set the tone for a board meeting, or for a relaxing space of reflection? Browse through the extra photos that are displayed on featured listings to help you make the right choice.
If you are looking for the perfect venue for your next meeting, give our platform a go. Find everything that you need to know at a glance and then email the host directly from the listing. If we can help in any way, please do not hesitate to get in touch, our team is always happy to chat over any queries you may have.
Hello! Do you ever struggle to find the right space for that next important date in the calendar? As well as saying hello, we thought that we could also tell you a few of the benefits that you could experience from using our space listing service. As you may already know, the team behind this lovely platform, Business Cornwall, have worked closely within the Cornish business community for a number of years and have discovered the need for a service that simplifies the process of finding appropriate business spaces for meetings, workshops, training and conferences.
We aim to save you time. Say goodbye to the days of trawling through search engine results, you will now only have to look for the ideal venue in one place by using the Lacuna Business website. All of the information in relation to size, capacity, amenities and set up of the room will be available at a glance, as well as a link straight to where you can book the space.
We all know that business can involve traveling for the next item on your agenda, and that travel can mean a lot of time (then the coffee isn’t even that good when you get to your destination). Use the Lacuna Business search tool to find that perfect meeting space right in the middle and put an end to the two-hour commute!
There may be the odd occasion where you need a venue to impress, this could be a conference room kitted out with all of the latest technology or a large venue that has the facilities to comfortably host a couple of hundred people. We understand that preserving a good reputation is important in these situations and our listings will provide photographs, which will allow you to make the best venue choice.
There are also a few benefits that come with just mixing things up and getting out of the office. A different location for a team meeting, training session or workshop can remove some of the day-to-day routine that can form a barrier against creativity. Offsite venues can also allow teams to bond, having left behind office personalities teams can focus on developing strong working relationships and boost creative and collaborative thinking.
If you are looking for that perfect space for your next event, give Lacuna Business a go. If we can help in any way, please do not hesitate to get in touch, our team is happy to chat over any queries you may have.
