An exclusive sneak-peak at More Than Loft Ladders’ new headquarters.
The new premises will eventually incorporate a larger office space for new staff, a brand-new training area for new franchise partners, a larger boardroom area for meetings and visitors, plus a dedicated studio space for photography and video.
Our new headquarters is located at the historical Co-op bakery on Fletcher Street in Long Eaton. Although most of the original building was demolished in 1974, the remaining structure has been renovated and converted to individual business units. “When I visited the site late last year, I could immediately see its potential”, explained director and franchise owner Liam Hobbs. “From a dedicated training area to a larger office area and boardroom, having everything condensed into one sizable unit will allow us to grow and be far more efficient. We had previously integrated the Nottingham/Derby/South Yorkshire unit with our main facilities as franchisors, now we are diversifying with a separate and dedicated headquarters for the entire franchise.”
A new space can bring many advantages to a growing business. One key positive revolves around connectivity and far easier commuting. Relocating could reduce commute times for employees and clients travelling into the area. With our old location on the Long Eaton high street, access and parking was restrictive for visitors and prospective partners. The larger space with its own area for visitor parking, plus easy access from the main road, offers excellent connectivity, especially if travelling via the M1. As well as being an easier location, better access to local amenities is a great option for any visiting clients. In our case, we are situated very close to a beautiful local canal and public park. If the weather permits it, a more pleasant environment for informal meetings or for employees to take their lunch is a big bonus!
For your business to be more efficient and cost-effective, you might want to consider consolidating your resources or even whole facilities into a single location. You might even be at a point where you are starting to outgrow your existing premises. In our case, our old location was becoming cramped as we began to expand our staff to more dedicated franchise-wide roles.
“A larger office accommodates our needs, whilst also offering a change of scene for our staff and collaborators”, explains Liam. “It will grow and adapt along with us as we improve our workflows and processes. There are even a couple of hot-desks for employees who prefer hybrid-working.”
“I’m especially looking forward to our new and dedicated training area when it’s finished, Liam continues. “We previously utilised a much smaller space in the local branch’s storage unit. Soon we’ll have a much larger facility to more efficiently train our new partners – and our local branch will appreciate having that space back for themselves!”
As businesses grow and change, so do their requirements. A change in location might seem like a daunting task at first, but even a cursory glance at the local area might be worth it in the long run. “We are in fact quite close to our old premises, so geographically we are in the same area”, explains Liam. “However, even a small move up the road was worth the effort. It doesn’t need to be as drastic as changing a whole postcode area. You might be surprised by what you find nearby!”
This article comes courtesy of More Than Loft Ladders, the UK’s longest established franchise in the loft access industry.
