At Ourworx office space, we have conveniently located ourselves in Hazel Grove, Stockport. We are approximately 10 Minutes walk from the Hazel Grove train station, which has trains directly from Manchester Piccadilly with journey times as little as 19 to 25 minutes and trains coming from Buxton. Access to local bus services is a 7-minute walk away. For those that drive, we are 13 Minutes from the M60

All of this means You, your guests and staff can easily travel to and from your office hassle free. Its convenient for all!

Parking is becoming harder and harder, with more road users than ever. Here at Ourworx we offer FREE! Yes that’s FREE parking. Its not just any parking, Its parking on our premises, no long walks from your office to a car park. Not at Ourworx. Our car park is right outside your office. Gone is the worry of finding a safe place to park your car while you work. Ourworx has that covered.

Inside our office, its not just office. It’s a quirky office. We are unlike any other office space in Stockport. We have luxury community spaces for the convenience of you and your guests. We have gone above and beyond to make everyone feel at home while they are at Ourworx. We offer more than just the standard run down office kitchen. Its luxury appointed, we provide the use of a full double oven and grill, so for all those healthily minded and gym goers out there we wont hold you back with just a microwave. You can use the oven to cook your chicken breast for that super tasty meal prep you planned.

Is it really “serviced”? Yes. We have a member of staff at our site several hours a day ensuring the place is kept clean and up to standards, assisting with any member concerns and keeping the community happy. We offer weekly office cleaning included with our prices, there no extra fee you need to worry about. The broadband, tea, coffee etc is all covered. Everything you need to get started is already here waiting.

We have fully equipped all our individual offices with high quality furniture. This incudes superior oak would desks and adjustable leather style chairs. We ensure you we have not cut any corners in producing our office space. There is not a reason to say no to Ourworx. We are ready for your business!

Running a small business is not easy. To attract new clients and customers, when you’re working on your own or in a small team with limited resources, you have to work three times as hard as the big boys. With all the noise of the competition, getting seen and noticed means that you need to raise your profile. But how do you go about doing that?

We talked to some of our customers at Ourworx serviced offices in Stockport, to ask their advice on how to get seen and noticed in Stockport and what changes you can make to deliver greater business success. Here are some of the top answers they came up with.

1. Celebrate Business Achievements – Vocally!

It doesn’t matter whether you run a small business with a few members of staff, work on your own or freelance, it’s vital to have a positive profile and a high reputation with your clients. This comes through the service you provide, but also by being visible and open in celebrating achievements and promoting how well you provide for your customers.

It doesn’t come naturally to many small business owners, but to have the edge commercially, we all need to celebrate our achievements and talk about them everywhere we can. Promote good reviews and champion your own success to give you more success and a higher profile amongst your peers.

2. Keep up the Positivity

Be positive, whatever media you use to talk about your business. It’s important to maintain a positive and upbeat demeanor, no matter whether you are talking to people directly, on the phone or through digital channels. Nobody likes a grouch!

On social media, always make sure you post a good combination of positive stories and updates. Leave out the negativity, even if your client lets you down, or the train is late. B2B messaging should be topical, informative and light. If you are going to critique something, do it from an informed perspective and be constructive.

3. Business is Two Way

Business conversations are two way. Really, they are! We’ve all been in meetings or 1-2-1s with business people who use it as an opportunity to talk about them and only them or to try to sell you their services straight away! It’s not impressive and it rarely leads to a fruitful business relationship.

Taking an interest in others means that you keep communication two way. If you are part of a small business community, like the one here at Ourworx, then make an effort to be involved with the community. Help others solve problems or offer support. This will do wonders for your reputation and means that others will want to help you in a similar way.

4. Champion other businesses

Office spaces, like Ourworx office rentals in Stockport, actively promote collaboration. Our clients talk to each other, understand each other’s businesses and want to help. This means that they actively promote each other to their network.

It doesn’t need to be overdone – but retweets and recommendation go a long way. You never know how far a kind word can go in the world of small business.

5. Stay Consistent

However you are promoting yourself, be consistent about it. Firstly, be consistent in terms of the types of messages you are posting and the way you are promoting yourself, but also be consistent about the regularity of your promotion. It’s no use posting a hundred messages on social media one week and then doing nothing for the next six.

Having a company blog is a great way of keeping your clients and colleagues updated on you and your activity, but you need to update it regularly, to have an impact and be top-of-mind with potential customers.

6. Be out there – Don’t hide at home!

To be noticed, you need to be present. Which means being out in the business community. For our clients, here at our Stockport offices, being part of the exciting office space at Ourworx helps them to be visible and noticed. Many of our clients started off their businesses working from home. But soon found that it was limiting. They needed to be out amongst other businesses. By coming to Ourworx, they found a thriving small business community in Stockport, that wants to help small business to grow and reach their potential. By being a mutual support to each other and raising each other’s profiles, our clients are building business links that will last and relationships that have longevity.

Without spaces like Ourworx to support them, small businesses do struggle to maintain and grow their businesses. Which is why we are proud to champion the profiles our customers and help them build the success they deserve.

To read more about our customers at Ourworx, see our Customer Interview Blogs, or pop round for an informal visit.

There’s nothing worse than being stuck in an office space that doesn’t inspire you to be productive. None of us work well, when we are stuck in a tiny dull box, with no windows, no light and no personality.

According to research, the most important factor in workplace productivity is our physical environment. This is particularly important for small businesses and startups, where the business owner, or a small team is tasked with delivering high quality work, sometimes putting in long hours to make sure the job is done. Productivity, here, needs to be at a maximum which is difficult to sustain when you’re working in something that feels like a shoe box!

That’s why, at Ourworx, we’ve worked hard to make even our smallest office spaces fantastic areas to work in. By working through and understanding the problems most offices face, we’ve developed solutions for our working space that genuinely inspire productivity, and make our customers excited about coming in to work here every day.

1. Let there be light!

No one wants to work in a dark, dingy office, so having good lighting is important to develop a happy workplace. Office lighting can have an enormous effect on productivity. There are dozens of problems that can be attributed to poor lighting, from migraines and eye strain to a reduced ability to concentrate. On top of this, too much artificial light confuses our body clock, making us less able to sleep well at night and more tired during the day.

At Ourworx we’ve made a feature of our lighting to keep things bright and cheerful. With large windows to give natural sunlight and our unique lighting plan, Ourworx is never dingy or dark, helping you work in the most comfortable light, whatever the weather outside.

2. Relaxed and welcoming communal areas

The ability to escape your computer for half an hour, to take a break and stop thinking about how to fix that nagging customer problem, is critical for maintaining your health and your working sanity.

At Ourworx we’ve created a space where everyone can leave their individual offices to relax, chat and hang out. It’s a great way to boost moral in the building and to increase productivity, and it is also the perfect place for some informal networking and relationship building.

3. Flexible working times

Working a standard 9 to 5 isn’t always the right solution for small businesses, startups or for the self-employed. And strict hours don’t always correlate with the best times for individuals to work.

Flexibility is key, for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Unless you have important meetings or pressing deadlines, it might be best for you and your co workers to follow hours that suit you, to make the most of when you’re all most productive.

At Ourworx, every customer has 24hour access to the building. 7 days a week. 52 weeks of the year. Meaning that we, unlike so many office spaces, offer truly flexible working options for our customers.

4. Eat well and be healthy

Happy, healthy workers get more done! Which means that’s it’s important to have proper meal times, and have food and beverages available throughout the day. According to one study nearly two thirds of employees leave the office regularly on a coffee/snack run each day. The US report showed this equated to 2.4 billion hours of lost productivity!

Whilst it can be productive to get out and have a mind refreshing walk at lunchtime, or anytime during the day, it’s important that it doesn’t take too much time out of the day.

At Ourworx, all tea and coffee is provided as part of the office package. Our customers benefit from feeling motivated and cared for, and also from improved informal communication, as people gravitate around the kitchens and communal areas to snack, drink a coffee or tea, and talk over the problems and business solutions of the day.

5. Green Fingers – clear mind

An office space that is bare, without pictures, ornaments, personal souvenirs or plants is “the most toxic space you can put a human into,” according to psychologists researching at the University of Exeter. Their study suggests that plants can reduce stress and sickness and can significantly improve productivity. And, on top of that, they also brighten the place up!

With that in mind, we created a space at Ourworx that is the very epitome of calm. With plants, pictures and ornaments in the communal areas, and space in each individual office for your own mementos. By making sure that we understand how people work best, Ourworx has been able to offer a working space that inspires our customers every day.

6. Furniture choices matter, so we went for quality

Poor quality furniture leads to a poor working experience, which leads to a poor quality work. If your chairs don’t fit the desk, or the desk is too small, or the legs are falling off your coffee table, you won’t feel like a professional business, and your work like one either.

We’ve made a conscious effort with our furniture to get the best wherever we can. All office furniture is included in the office package our customers take with us, so that they get the best, whether they are working in their individual offices, in the communal space, or making use of the luxury boardroom.

7. Remember to have fun!

Socialising with work colleagues is part of being a happy and hardworking team. And if you’re working on your own, it’s even more important to have some social time with other, like-minded business owners.

Every Friday is Beer and Pizza Friday at Ourworx. Where our customers have the opportunity to get to know each other, relax and wind down after a busy week. By providing the opportunity for social interaction and fun at work, we find our customers work better within their businesses and create an atmosphere of productivity, comfort and inspiration every single day.

For more information about our amazing space, here at Ourworx, or to arrange an informal visit, contact us by filling in the form at the bottom of our homepage here.

On Thursday 6th April, Ourworx hosted a Moxie Mingle networking event. Conversations and connections were high on the agenda, as was admiration for the space and atmosphere of Ourworx.

Networking with a difference

About to celebrate its fifth birthday, Moxie Mingle is a networking group with a difference. Open to anyone and with no sector allegiance, Moxie offers a relaxed, friendly atmosphere that helps businesses small and large, old and new, to connect, form partnership and synergy, and build good working relationships, all bundled together with an excellent lunch and plenty of laughs along the way.

It came as no surprise, then, that the Moxie Minglers who joined us on Thursday last week, felt right at home. At Ourworx we pride ourselves on the ambiance of our working environment, and the networkers certainly made the most of it. Even with our business lounge nearly full plenty of space to mingle and move around the various chatting groups of entrepreneurs.

The perfect relaxed atmosphere

According to Wendy Green, the founder and facilitator of Moxie Mingle, there was a good turnout of twenty-five enthusiastic business people – which is more than decent considering the meeting was held during the Easter holidays. “The event was buzzing,” she told us afterwards. “And it’s such a fab venue for a networking event. The space lends itself to to our brand of relaxed and informal networking. It’s such a great place for small businesses to be.”

The event began with the usual hum of gentle chatter, as the Moxie Minglers old and new, mixed with businesses from Ourworx who were joining in. Before long though, business referrals were flying and conversations increased in excitement as people got to know each other’s propositions and connections were made.

Wayne Morris, owner of Ourworx told us: “These kinds of events are exactly what I envisaged when we renovated and developed the working space here. Everyone seemed to love the concept of office space built around collaboration, and on this occasion, collaboration with other businesses outside Ourworx was the key. I was really pleased that people new to Ourworx got chance to have a good look around. Not only to get to know our clients, but also to see what we are trying to achieve here. I felt very satisfied when I heard Ourworx described as “So different to everywhere else!” We’ve worked hard to create a light, spacious area as well as a great place to showcase a business. It seems our hard work has paid off.

Plenty of opportunities

Ourworx members are used to informal networking, as they get the opportunity to mingle and chat to each other every day, but as Jess Christie from Search and More told us, it was good to have other business come in as well. “We’ve made some really good connections today, and met some lovely people. It’s so important in small business to keep networking and meeting like-minded business people. It’s been a great addition to our regular daily conversations.”

With more networking events planned at Ourworx, and Moxie Mingle sure to make a return, we can look forward to more opportunity to grow business relationships for our clients as we help them to expand their networks and develop their businesses.

Check out some of the pictures from the day.

No matter what size of business you are running, most your clients are won through referrals. According to Harvard Business School, 84% of business starts with a referral. Which means that, even in the online space, networking is a key activity for your business development.

Here at Ourworx, we value networking very highly. Our customers network together informally every day – through our business lounge and our free tea, coffee and breakfast facilities. Simply by the way our offices are set up, we have an atmosphere that encourages collaboration and networking.

But we also like to give our customers the opportunity to network more formally through events with other local businesses outside Ourworx. Which is why we are pleased to be hosting a Moxie Mingle Networking Event, on Thursday 6th April, right here in Ourworx.

Why Come Networking?

For the small business owner, life can be lonely. The only people you meet are clients, occasionally your accountant and, more occasionally, the barista in the local coffee shop.

For some, this is perfect, for a while. But if you’ve been used to working in a busy office environment, life a lone business owner can become stifling and, in the end, detrimental to business growth and development.

Networking groups give you the opportunity to spread wings and get out amongst your fellow entrepreneurs. Not only can it be good fun, meeting with others and talking through your weekly events, but it can also be a critical element to your personal growth and your business development.

Grow through Networking

Building a successful business takes a lot of time and energy. A network of trusted, like-minded other business owners can be an enormous support in keeping you going. Within any networking group there will be ideas, energy and tips of wisdom. All of which can help you maintain your enthusiasm for your business, as well as giving you valuable insights and advice for all those tricky situations every business owner endures.

By getting to know, like and trust the other members of the group, you can help each other to move forwards and help grow your businesses.

Leverage Other People’s Networks

It’s natural that networking will result in sales opportunities. Most people new to networking arrive at events hoping to sell directly to the other people in the group.

They can then be disappointed when this doesn’t happen straight away.

But the point of getting together with other like-minded business owners, isn’t to sell directly to them, but rather, to find out if their network is useful to you and vice versa.

One introduction usually leads to another, and another. By getting to know the people in any networking group you can leverage their existing network, using your new-found friends to find new opportunities for you.

On top of that, as you get to know more businesses through networking, you will find that you can better serve your own clients by referring them to complementary services they may need from within your networking group.

This is the epitome of networking –  helping each other to deliver joint services and business referrals from people you have got to know, like and trust.

Moxie Mingle is different kind of networking event

A networking event with a difference, Moxie Mingle has been running for several years, delivering new business opportunities to businesses in the South Manchester area. With a Moxie Mingle event, there’s no hard sell, no forced referrals required, no membership and no excessive commitment. Just the opportunity to make connections and forge new business relationships.

Open to all sectors of business, from sole traders to large organisations Moxie Mingle offers a relaxed, fun atmosphere, whilst still maintaining a business attitude that delivers opportunities and results.

Why not give networking a go? Join us at our luxury Ourworx offices and co-working space, on Thursday 6th April for a light lunch and the opportunity to meet and mingle with like-minded business people.

I need to more productive, but there aren’t enough hours in the working day!

It’s a common cry. Everyone from sole traders and entrepreneurs, through to busy execs and company directors, at some point feels the pressure to get more done in the day.  And anyone who works for themselves understands the fear of losing productivity due to tiredness, inefficiency and stress.

But the trick to defeating the doldrums and using your time more productively and efficiently, isn’t just about getting up earlier, or working later, or plying yourself with evermore cups of coffee. It’s about doing the right things at the right times and in the right places, to make your energy and self-control last as long as possible through the day.

Here’s five easy steps you can take to help you get the most from your working day.

Eat breakfast

No, seriously, eat breakfast! Forget those people who boast about being too busy for breakfast. It’s not the 1980’s anymore! Eating a decent breakfast puts you on the front foot. It kicks off your metabolism, which means that you are more likely to function better and quicker, giving you energy, improving short-term memory and helping you to concentrate for longer periods.

On top of this, people who eat breakfast are less likely to be obese, they have more stable blood-sugar levels and they tend to be less hungry over the course of the day.

At Ourworx, breakfast is included and available every day. So you don’t need to worry about being missing out on the most important meal of the day.

Start the day with a tidy day

Have the same order of events each day when you get into the office. It might be a pain to begin by clearing the clutter off your desk, but it helps you concentrate.

It’s the same with your email inbox, and social media accounts. Prioritise the backlog. Knock out quick responses and referrals, so other people can start working on tasks. Then schedule any of the bigger tasks and delete the stuff that isn’t valuable or important.

You can also try writing first thing in the morning to warm up your brain and clear out the cluttered thoughts.

Prioritise those daily goals

Sometimes you can’t have a productive day because you just don’t know where to start. Having some specific daily goals helps. It gives confidence, and a feeling of control.

Prioritise your goals based on importance and urgency. Then narrow your goals down to a few achievable ones that can easily be broken down into steps. Don’t be vague with your goals either, it’s counter-productive. Always include how you are going to achieve each goal – “I’m going to finish this presentation by writing it in four sections and spending no longer than an hour on it.” Now, you have a way to achieve it, which will help you get things done.

Keep to your timings

If you have your goals prioritised, and made sure they are time bound, stick to the timing! It’s so easy to get carried away with a task, and then run over, with the result that everything else in your day becomes a rush.

Meetings can be the biggest time wasters and can ruin an otherwise productive day. A simple meeting can drag on forever if you let it, so make sure you have a schedule and goal for each meeting, then stick to it. If you inform everyone attending your meeting what the schedule is, it will motivate them to be more focused and efficient. Keep your meetings on time and your entire day will stay on track.

Ourworx delivers the support you need

At Ourworx, we do our best to make sure your work day is always productive. From the inclusive breakfast, free tea and coffee, well appointed office space, business lounge and inclusive meeting room booking, we provide everything you need to keep you work day productive and on track.