Posted on Thursday 20th April 2023
Philip White (left) with Andy Pressdee from Press Creative
The opportunity to network and share ideas is supporting business growth at Stafford’s new enterprise centre.
With 15 companies now located at the Shire Hall Business Centre, businesses say working alongside and meeting others can make a difference and help them to grow their customer base.
Located to the rear of the historic building in the area which once housed the town’s library, Shire Hall now provides a thriving enterprise hub – offering flexible tenancies in modern, bright, office space in a central location.
And in addition to office provision, Shire Hall has a mailbox service, enabling small businesses still located at home to have a separate company address which can help to present a professional look. There is also the opportunity to hire out hot desking and meeting space to those operating at different locations.
Andy Pressdee’s company Press Creative recently moved to a unit at Shire Hall. Press Creative supports small businesses in developing marketing messaging and includes social media, website content and graphic design.
He said:
I’m now working with other businesses here at Shire Hall which is beneficial to all of us. This is far more suited for the business than our previous location. I love it – it’s light and a great place to bring clients. It’s a professional and creative environment here.”
Peter Haddock runs his company Content With Media from Shire Hall and was one of the first businesses to locate there. His businesses focuses on the construction and plant sectors and creates media content from videos to podcasts and written articles. A PR professional and journalist, Peter started his business in 2019. Moving to Shire Hall from home means the business can expand and take on employees and apprentices.
Peter said:
There are great networking opportunities with the other businesses here, and the Shire Hall team is fantastic. When we saw the Shire Hall, we knew we had found our new home. It’s a fantastic modern workspace in an amazing heritage building, right in the town centre that our staff can easily access.”
Like the county council’s other enterprise centres, the Shire Hall offers reception facilities, meeting areas, networking opportunities and business advice and support. It opened last July following an extensive £2million fit out, blending the latest office facilities with heritage building features.
Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills Philip White said:
Businesses have told us that the opportunity to network with other like-minded company owners is a real bonus.
Finding out about their operations and their future expansion plans has made it all worthwhile. This is exactly the outcome we wanted during initial planning stages.
What stands out is businesses having modern, centrally located office space, giving them a professional outlook day-to-day and when they bring in clients.
While fifteen businesses have snapped up units, there are a few more remaining, so I’d urge people to get in touch to find out more. Additional services for businesses located at home or elsewhere such as the mailbox and hot desking, really need to be explored.
Having a thriving business hub in the heart of Stafford is important for the town and will play a significant part in its wider regeneration.”
Any businesses wanting to find out more about unit costs and availability, or that wants to book a viewing at any time, should contact Samantha Neal, centre administrator, at samantha.neal@staffordshire.gov.uk
This Shire Hall Business Centre forms part of the wider regeneration of the Stafford town centre. It will also complement plans to repurpose and redevelop land occupied by vacant buildings – including the former magistrates court and county council’s own Wedgwood Building – off Eastgate Street.