10 Best Offices in London For Startups
12 April 2021
Earlier this year, online printing specialists, Instantprint, combined desk research and national survey data to learn about the UK’s thriving startup scene.
It found that in spite of the disruption and uncertainty of the last 12 months or so, a record number of businesses launched in the UK in 2020 (468,371 to be precise). That’s an extra 84,758 businesses compared with 2019.
This unexpected uptick shows that even in challenging times, opportunities can be found. Some startups were formed by people pivoting in their careers or starting a hide hustle after being furloughed (9.9 million jobs were furloughed between April and December).
Offices for London-based startups
Unsurprisingly, London is the city with the highest number of new startups, with 123,462 new Companies House registrations. Birmingham comes second with 11,165 registrations and Manchester takes third place with 9,684.
Until now, the majority of these new businesses have called home their home. But now, with the lockdown easing roadmap in full swing, many are looking to secure their spot in one of London’s best flexible workspaces for startups.
There are hundreds of great coworking spaces in London today. In fact, the UK’s capital has one of the highest growing and successful flexible office space markets in the world.
We’ve chosen to showcase some of the best out there; a broad spectrum of startup spaces to suit different tastes, requirements and sectors. First on our list is the Grade I listed former warehouse-turned-workspace, Tobacco Dock.
1. Tobacco Dock in Shadwell
Tobacco Dock isn’t just for startups – it has workspaces and services to suit every stage of a company’s journey. Desk prices start at just £20 per day and members can scale up to a private office once they begin to hire new employees.
The building also contains a range of event spaces, including high-spec meeting rooms that can accommodate a range of activities, from one-to-one interviews to large conferences.
Image: Tobacco Dock
2. Salisbury House in Moorgate
With Moorgate Underground Station a mere 50-metres from the building, Salisbury House is ideally positioned for commuter-entrepreneurs. The property is flooded with natural light (which is great for wellbeing), and the roof terrace boasts inspiring city views.
Architecture aside, Salisbury House scores high when it comes to digital infrastructure. The workspace has achieved a WiredScore Gold rating, ensuring members have access to business grade fibre broadband throughout the working day.
Image: Salisbury House
3. 19-21 Hatton Garden in Farringdon
Perfectly positioned on the City Fringe, this workspace for startups has everything a new team needs to stay productive throughout the day, including ample breakout spaces, a range of meeting rooms and an event space for up to 70 people.
The space has a welcoming reception area with a dedicated on-site team on hand to help with queries and welcome your guests. You can also expect a free breakfast every day and “the best tea and coffee in London”.
Image: 19-21 Hatton Garden
4. 90 High Holborn in Holborn
Enter number 90 and feast your eyes on not one, but nine floors dynamically designed workspace interiors. Suitable for freelancers, startups and established businesses alike, this space acts more like a campus, providing members with the chance to collaborate with others and attend events with industry professionals.
Conveniently, members can use the operator’s app to book meeting rooms, order lunch and connect with the rest of the coworking community.
Image: 90 High Holborn
5. Fitzroy House in Old Street
This Silicon Roundabout workspace has everything a startup could possibly need: access to a network of fellow founders and business specialists, private offices, coworking desks, meeting rooms and the nifty phone/work booths shown below.
The internet is high speed (naturally), and all the essentials are included in the monthly membership price – including access to top notch weekly breakfasts.
Image: Fitzroy House
6. New City Court in London Bridge
New City Court is neighbours with one of the most prestigious buildings in London, The Shard. (But don’t worry, a membership is much cheaper here!) Private offices are able to accommodate teams of one up to 80 people, and each comes with its own meeting room.
Members can expect treats throughout the week as facilitated by the building’s dedicated team, together with perks worth up to £15k, as part of a Startup Toolkit initiative.
Image: New City Court
7. Long Lane in Borough
Choose a membership here and you’ll never be short of lunch options (the famous Borough Market is super close by). The workspace is also a stone’s throw from the Northern Line at Borough Underground Station, making it well-placed for commuting across London.
Check out the coffee lounge below, where you can fuel up with healthy snacks, smoothies, organic juices and of course, great coffee.
Image: Long Lane
8. Dingley Place in Islington
If you’re of the belief that “business doesn’t end with profit, but can have a deep social and environmental purpose”, Dingley Place could be the perfect community in which to kickstart and grow your business. This space is actually one of 100 hubs around the world, all of which form a community of 17,000+ entrepreneurs.
Memberships are flexible and designed to suit modern day businesses, and members also get access to workshops and support focused on scaling up.
Image: Dingley Place
9. Gnome House in Walthamstow
Situated in one of Walthamstow’s regeneration zones, floors one and two of Gnome House contain coworking desks, private offices and meeting rooms, as well as a training space. But what sets it apart from others is its in-house apprenticeship scheme.
Members can hire an apprentice in collaboration with the workspace’s further education and training partner, and get a free desk thrown into the mix too!
Image: Gnome House
10. Market Peckham in Peckham
Together with the usual desk spaces and breakout areas, Market Peckham is home to restaurants, a roof garden and even a live music venue, making it great for gig lovers and professionals alike. There’s also ample bike storage and shower facilities for those who prefer to cycle in.
Image: Market Peckham
Which membership type should a startup choose?
New business owners looking to rent a workspace in London have four main choices: a hotdesk, dedicated desk, bay/pod or private office membership. It all depends on the size of the business and its budget. Let’s take a quick look at each option.
Hotdesk
A hot desk membership provides you with access to an available desk within the building. Bear in mind that you won’t be entitled to storage or be able to use the same desk every time, however it’s a cheap and convenient option for ad hoc office working.
Dedicated desk
With a dedicated desk membership, you’ll be allocated your own coworking desk within the building that you can use whenever you want. It’s likely you’ll get some storage for your belongings and get access to all of the perks, from free coffee to networking events.
Bay/pod
Bays and pods are becoming increasingly popular in London’s flexible workspaces. They’re like a hybrid between a coworking desk and a private office, with movable furniture and partitions. As such, they’re cheaper than an office and perfect for small teams.
Private office
If you’re in need of some privacy or a dedicated space in which to bring your team together, a private office is the way to go. Private offices are available for teams of different sizes – and if you grow significantly, you can even rent a whole floor on flexible terms.
Instaprint’s research also found that nearly a fifth of UK adults (18%) have solid plans to start a business in 2021, and around a third (29%) are considering it.
If you’re one of them, or if you’re a seasoned business owner looking for a new workspace to call home, start your office search today. There are lots of competitive deals on office space out there at the moment and we can match you with the perfect flexible space.
Call us: +44 20 3963 8284
Email: team@firstofficehub.com
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