StepSpace / 01 Jan Six Months Of StepSpace
Ann Trueman, operations manager at StepSpace, looks back at the first six months of one of the best office spaces in Belfast and the journey the team has been on since the doors opened.
When we launched StepSpace in June 2018 it was a completely new concept for the Belfast office market.
Created to serve companies on a fast growth trajectory, it was the brainchild of Belfast’s Causeway Asset Management, and forms part of their Future-Fit concept; a user first approach to office development that’s already being rolled out across the Causeway portfolio.
Pushing boundaries
The team at Causeway is always looking at the possible future changes of the office market, both locally and internationally, and once again they were pushing the boundaries of what was available in Belfast for scaling businesses.
Obviously every business has its own requirements and there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. It is my job to make sure that we understand our tenant’s infrastructure priorities. StepSpace is user led; we can convert a 10-desk office to a 15 or 20-desk office in the space of a weekend if our occupiers need it.
Designs to grow
The design itself was a real talking point. With our bold colours, break out spaces, meeting rooms and cubicle phone booths, our architects at PLY Design created an office space which made all of our visitors jealous.
The collaborative core at the heart of the venture gives our members all the benefits of a co-working space, combined with the privacy requirements of a scaling business. This approach allows our members to focus on their own business while also availing of a shared support ecosystem of other companies going through the same journey, at the same time, in the same space.
Great tenants
We have been able to watch this space develop from an idea into an incredible environment that houses great companies who are making a real impact in their markets. Our first tenant WhiteSpace continues to grow, with new product ranges in the pipeline for 2019.
When PA Consulting chose to set up their Belfast base in StepSpace and then revealed their plans to scale alongside the Northern Ireland Secretary of State and the Head of Invest NI, we knew that we were providing the right office space for excelling companies.
Scaling sweet spot
We’ve identified that the sweet spot for most companies to take their own space is around 40/45 employees. Before then the flexibility and cost of working in a scale space like StepSpace is more aligned with early stage company growth requirements. Additionally what we have discovered is that for the majority of the companies we’ve worked with, while flexibility and cost are naturally important to them, the security and comfort of being supported as part of a community yet still having their own private environment has been crucial.
For scaling companies having a dynamic, fun, fully supported space to return to and to bring clients to is essential. We believe we have achieved this balance with StepSpace.
If your company is growing quickly and you are looking for flexible office space in Belfast city centre please contact Ann Trueman on 028 96 209209 or email AnnTrueman@stepspace.com