60 Seconds With Clive Buckley, Founding Partner & Flexible Office Specialist at First Office Hub

Q: Hi Clive! What’s your role at FOH and what does it entail?  

A:  I’m the founder of First Office Hub and my role encompasses many areas of responsibility from managing growth and sales to finances and planning.

Q: How did you get into the flexible workspace industry in the first place?  

A: I’ve been an entrepreneur for 30 years and after I relocated to London in 2013 I was introduced to London & Partners who were looking to expand their partnership program in the serviced office arena. The rest is history.

Q: What’s your favourite thing about your job? 

A: I enjoy dealing with people and this job gives you the opportunity to interface with clients from all over the world. 

I also get great satisfaction out of matching clients with the perfect office and the on-going relationships that we develop with our customers.

Q: Has the role of the workspace evolved over the years?  

A: Absolutely, even more so in the last 18 months plus.  Prior to the Covid crisis the flexible office solution was gaining significant traction and was part of the modern work environment. 

In the last two years we’ve seen a lot of small businesses transition to the hybrid and/or WFH model whilst larger businesses are downsizing to managed solutions, short-term commitments, etc.

Q: In your opinion, what’s the best city to rent office space?  

Well, I’m biased but I firmly believe London is the world leader in office space.

Q: Which do you prefer: indie spaces or global coworking brands? 

A: This is an individual preference but global brands are currently very popular as they give businesses the opportunity to offer their workforce the opportunity to work from multiple locations on as needed basis.

Q: What do you think the workspace will look like in 5, 10 and 50 years time?  

A: I’m a firm believer that, given time, we will return to our pre-Covid work habits.  Working from home is extremely appealing in the short-term but it has a serious impact on our mental wellbeing. 

We are social creatures by habit and I believe that people will miss the social and mentoring aspect of being in an office more and more. 

As people see friends and family returning to work I’m confident it’s only a question of time until most people follow suit.

Q: Finally, tell us a bit about you: where are you based and what do you like to do when you’re not working?  

A: I’m based in Brazil but work and manage my business out of London.  I enjoy golf, football, boating and the beach.

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For more info or to get in touch, connect with Clive Buckley on LinkedIn.