A LOCAL authority has found an innovative way to help businesses get through the credit crunch – offer smaller offices.

Businesses will always need quality office accommodation – but may be operating on a much tighter budget because of the credit crunch.

Fleur Butler - Richmondshire District Council

Richmondshire District Council runs the Innovate business centre at the Colburn Business Park, offering managed office accommodation to businesses.

But with the current economic climate, the Council’s Economic Development team predicted there would be demand for smaller office space, to help companies cut costs.

They decided to partition one existing office into two smaller ones – and within a week, two new tenants had moved in. The Council has plans to partition another office, as demand for smaller offices is still high.

Innovate’s two new tenants are Blacktrack and Razorblue:

• Blacktrack Ltd launched the Cara 100 crash recorder in the UK, which is being fitted to thousands of young drivers’ cars by a leading insurance company,
• Razorblue Ltd provides managed IT solutions for small businesses, as well as outsourcing and consultancy services to enterprises and the public sector.

Both moved into Innovate over Christmas.

Last year Richmondshire District Council also opened its first “hot desking suite” at Innovate, to help businesses that would otherwise struggle to afford permanent office accommodation. Innovate can also accommodate “virtual tenants”, for companies who need office services but not a physical presence.

The Council has also teamed up with two property developers to jointly promote Colburn Business Park, where Innovate is located. Other facilities at the business park include Bailey and Battalion Court, which consists of self-contained offices from 1,035 sq ft to 9,984 sq ft, suitable for companies with between five and 100 employees, and Target@Colburn, which offers high-tech business units from 2,500 sq ft to 5,000 sq ft.

The latest initiative is part of a series of measures that the Council is rolling out to help the local economy – which also includes axing car parking charges in the run up to Christmas, supporting a team of business development officers, and running business workshops.

Councillor Fleur Butler, Richmondshire District Council’s spokesperson for Prosperous Communities, said: “Businesses will always need quality office accommodation – but may be operating on a much tighter budget because of the credit crunch. By partitioning one large office into two smaller ones at Innovate, we have been able to help support that.

“It’s such a simple idea, but sometimes they can be the best ones. The fact that two new tenants moved in within a week just goes to show that the demand is there.

“Together, Bailey and Battalion Court, Target@Colburn and the Innovate Centre offer a range of high-quality accommodation for sale or to let, suitable for a wide variety of businesses – so anyone interested in developing their business should come and see what is available.”