Q&A with Pure Offices, Thorpe Park

This month we were pleased to announce that the Pure Offices business centre at Thorpe Park, Leeds, was crowned our Business Centre of the Month for July. Below we took some time to speak to the Centre Manager, Rachel Armstrong, about what they've been up to at the centre and how they see things changing moving forward. Read more below!

Tell us a little about Pure Offices.

Pure Offices was founded in 2007 with a plan to develop a portfolio of purpose built serviced offices. Not just any old serviced offices, but ones designed from the inside out to match occupier’s requirements. We had observed that companies, whilst appreciating the deluxe character of many serviced offices, didn't actually need many of the services offered and didn't want to pay for them either. By carefully designing the buildings around the optimum office layout, maximising light and using natural ventilation, the aim was to create excellent workplaces for small businesses, that were economical to run, and so could be let out at affordable rents. The way the centres were to be managed was thoroughly reviewed, based on a "keep it simple" mantra, and focusing on what businesses needed and were prepared to pay for. If we could keep the running costs down, and just focus on the services businesses really needed, we could pass on the benefits to our customers!

What are the three best features of this office?

I would have to say the sheer volume of daylight and space, the location and - last but not least - the Thorpe Park staff! The team work very effectively together to make the building run smoothly day in, day out. We have fantastic customer relations with clients, the client retention levels speak volumes – once they arrive, they very rarely leave!

What perks does this business centre offer in terms of location?

We are directly off junction 46 of the M1 so we enjoy excellent motorway links to both the north and south, yet we are just 10mins from the city centre. We have a great retail park 10mins walk away with a Sainsburys, Boots, Next and other stores. Just opposite our car park we have a deli, Italian restaurant and a bakery.

What industries do the tenants you have work in, and how does this centre work for their needs?

We have clients from literally every corner of every industry! We tend to find sales teams and satellite teams enjoy our location being so accessible, yet we are also the perfect spot for clients who live and work in smaller neighboring towns who want a high profile building and location in Leeds.

What have you launched new for this year?

This year we are trying to make an impact on the social media scene. Every Pure Offices centre now actively use Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and our website news page to spread the word about our goings on - there is so much going on at all of our locations it would be a shame not to share it! The building itself is always evolving and improving; we spend a great deal of time and money on making the centre user friendly and keeping it looking its best.

What sets you apart from other business centres?

Affordability in a luxury environment. One of the reasons for this is because we split business rates from our license fee. This allows the majority of our clients to enjoy 100% business rates relief as offered by the government. Even the larger clients usually have some discount to enjoy, and this on the whole makes us much more affordable than other centres.

What changes and developments do you see for the centre in the future?

As the centre fills up (which won’t be long now) the team will have more time to invest in even more customer focused events and activities around centre. We want our customers to enjoy coming to work which is no revolutionary idea, but one we want to stick with. Into the future we intend to stay ahead of the game in terms of IT, telephony and more importantly – affordability.

And, lastly, for you, what do you like the most about your job?

I have worked in the serviced office industry for 7 years, and it is refreshing to work for a company who genuinely want the best for both client and staff alike. I most enjoy the autonomy and freedom of decision allowed to me to run both my centres in Leeds and Nottingham as I see fit. Pure Offices encourage creativity every step of the way and this ensures that the right sort of hardworking people join our busy teams, more often than not for the long term. This means work colleagues are all on the same wavelength! That certainly makes coming to work enjoyable when you are surrounded by like-minded people.

Thanks Rachel for taking the time to tell us about the centre and well done again for winning! You can read more about Pure's office at Thorpe Park, and all of the fun events they have been up to with their tenants for charity and for fun, in their previous blog here.

To find office space in this building, click here, and to find out how you can win our Business Centre of the Month Award, why not click here!