We’re often told not to judge a book by its cover, but the truth is that in business, we invariably do. You could run a meticulous business that provides outstanding customer service at every turn, but if you work out of a spare room, garage or kitchen, that’s not always the first impression prospective clients or customers will get. 

At Masterlord Office Village, we’re delighted to provide the self-employed, startups and small businesses with professional office space that makes them look the part. We even offer virtual office services, so you can give customers the impression that you’re a more established business than you are

Here are five reasons why moving to a serviced office will help you create the best possible first impression for your customers. 

Be where your customers are

The lack of a commute may be one of the biggest benefits of working from home for you, but what about your customers? For them, travelling to meet you at home or in a nearby coffee shop may not always be convenient. Alternatively, if you travel to meet your clients, you’ll simply be replacing the commute with more travelling for meetings. That’s one reason why having an office in a central location can be such a benefit. 

With a serviced office in Masterlord Office Village, you’re right at the heart of the action. You’ll be surrounded by a thriving business community that’s home to some of the region’s most dynamic and successful companies. You’ll also benefit from excellent transport links to London and the nearby cities of Norwich and Cambridge. 

Satisfy consumer psychology

There are a whole host of psychological factors that influence your customers’ buying behaviour. Simply seeing a home address listed on your website or business card could be enough to make prospective customers doubt the credibility of your business. Similarly, meeting you in a coffee shop or at your home may make them doubt whether you have the resources or experience to deliver the products or services as expected.

When you rent a serviced office at Masterlord Office Village, you’ll benefit from a professional reception service to welcome your guests. You’ll also have access to our meeting rooms and boardroom, with an on-site IT support team to help you with audio conferencing, video conferencing and any other technological requirements. That’s everything you need to create the best possible first impression.

Build trust

Trust is one of the most important factors in your relationship with customers and clients, and having a professional appearance plays a big part. While small businesses offer a whole host of benefits, there’s also a certain amount of reassurance that comes from working with an established business that has seen it and done it before.

Our serviced offices can help you build your business’s profile to show that you run a trustworthy and credible company. But that’s not the only trust-building service we offer. If you’re on a budget, our virtual office solutions give you a professional business presence without having to rent and occupy a physical space. That helps to create the illusion of being a larger company than you are. 

Create a seamless process

Customers and clients want to deal with businesses that they can work with easily and effectively without any glitches. When working from home, you can miss calls from clients, suffer from broadband outages and struggle with your technology. At Masterlord Office Village, that’s not something you have to worry about. 

All of our serviced offices have fixed and wireless broadband connections offering 300Mb/s, with upgrades available if required. There’s also an IT team on-site, so you can get fast support whenever you need it. We also offer a professional call answering service to make sure you never miss a call. The result is a business that’s raring to go, whenever your customers need it. 

Provide recommendations

Another benefit of working in a serviced office surrounded by other thriving businesses is the ability to recommend other products and services to your customers. By networking with other businesses in the area, you’ll understand what they can do and how they might be able to assist your clients. From the customer’s point of view, that will establish your position as a trusted resource and help to build the credibility of your business. 

The next step for your small business

Moving to a serviced office will help you to create the best possible first impression for your customers and deliver an outstanding level of service. Check our availability online or get in touch to discuss your workspace requirements with our team.

If you’re taking the next step in the growth of your small business by moving into your own office space, you might need a little help setting it up. The good news is that we’re here to provide a few top tips. We’re going to cover everything from office layout to health and wellbeing to help you set up your office with productivity and safety in mind.

Setting up your office the right way

There’s no single right way to set up your office. It all depends on the type of business you run and how you like to work. What is important though, is that you give it some serious thought and try to find a flexible solution that works well for you. 

Even with a small office and a handful of employees, the office environment can dramatically impact the productivity, efficiency and culture of you and your team, as well as your general wellbeing at work. Your workspace can even influence your ability to attract new talent, which is why it’s so important that you get it right.

1. Office layout

Before you think about anything else, you should plan your office layout to make it as comfortable and efficient as possible.

• Organise the office to reduce the time you need to spend moving about.
• Make sure equipment and files that you’ll use regularly are within easy reach.
• Plan the space so that employees who need to collaborate are next to each other.
• Decide whether you’ll have an open floor plan to encourage team working or more private spaces where employees can work individually.
• Think about whether you’ll have visitors to the office, where they’ll sit and if you’ll need a separate meeting space.

2. Furnishing your office

At Masterlord Office Village, our air-conditioned offices come with an optional choice of office furniture. However, if you’d prefer to furnish your office yourself, you should start with a minimum amount of furniture and equipment to maximise space and reduce clutter, and only add to it when there’s an essential item that you need. To start with, you will need:

• Standard desks and chairs with adjustable height and back support. 
• Multi-functional storage solutions, for example, desks with drawers, to maximise space
• A recycling bin and rubbish bin.
• A whiteboard to help to keep you and the team on the track.
• Computer equipment and any other office hardware. That can include everything from a photocopier and scanner to postal scales and a franking machine if you send products out to customers.

At Masterlord Office Village, every other requirement is catered for. We have breakout areas complete with comfortable seating and fully equipped kitchen areas and meeting rooms. That helps to keep your office furniture requirements to a minimum.

3. Health and wellbeing

Don’t underestimate how much your workspace can impact the productivity of your small business. One study found that workplace design had a consistent influence on workers’ performance, increasing productivity by as much as 25%. But as well as productivity, your workplace can also impact on your team’s health and wellbeing. Your office should:

• Be well ventilated and get plenty of natural light. 
• Have adequate lighting to reduce the risk of eye strain, tiredness and headaches.
• Be a comfortable temperature of around 20 degrees celsius.
• Include a plant or two if possible – office plants can prevent fatigue and increase overall wellbeing by as much as 15%.

4. Covid considerations    

There are several steps you can take to make your workplace Covid-secure during the pandemic. That includes keeping your office clean and well ventilated and adhering to social distancing. 

At Masterlord Office Village, we monitor the temperature of everyone coming into the building at reception, provide enhanced disinfecting and cleaning of all shared areas and respect the recommended 2-metre social distancing. If you need a larger workspace to adhere to workplace safety guidelines, our flexible contracts allow you to upsize on a temporary or permanent basis.

Workspaces to suit every need

Whether you want a workspace that allows you to grow or an office that’s ready and waiting to move into, you’ll find it here at Masterlord Office Village. Just check our availability online or get in touch to discuss your workplace requirements with our team. 

One inevitable consequence of the lockdown is that businesses need a safe and agile solution when it comes to their office space. They also want to use their cash as constructively as possible and not sign long-term leases when it’s unclear what the post-pandemic future will bring. At Masterlord Office Village, that’s something we’re perfectly placed to help you with – we’re here to help you, through today, tomorrow and for the future.

Supporting businesses during the pandemic

While some office spaces have closed, at Masterlord Office Village, we’re committed to taking every possible step to create a safe and welcoming place for you to work. We realise that for many entrepreneurs, self-employed people, startups and small businesses, working from home isn’t always a viable solution – for a myriad of reasons. That’s why we’re taking steps and providing additional services to help you navigate these uncertain times.

Our on-site nursery

We know all too well that childcare is one of the biggest challenges that parents face during the ongoing lockdown. Looking after a young child and doing a good day’s work can be simply impossible. That’s why we’re delighted to welcome the latest addition to the Masterlord community, our onsite ABC Wonderland nursery. 

With its ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating, the nursery provides exceptional childcare facilities for little ones from up to the age of five. Under the latest Government guidelines, nurseries can remain open during the current lockdown, giving you the time and space to focus on running your business while your child is cared for, entertained and looked after by our qualified early years’ practitioners. 

Competitive rates and flexible terms   

What small businesses need now more than ever is flexibility. No one knows what the post-pandemic landscape will bring, which makes large capital expenditure and long-term leases out of the question. At Masterlord Office Village, our office spaces are available on flexible terms that can support your business as you return to the office. You can also downsize or upsize at short notice, so you’ll only pay for the space you need. 

A sense of community

The strength of our office space is in its community. We are continuing to welcome new businesses to our vibrant commercial community and are giving them a safe space where they can reconnect, network and support each other through these challenging times. We have also installed a new video screen in the boardroom at Epsilon House Business Center to make it easier to connect via Zoom and Teams. 

Safety

Although businesses need a space where they can operate effectively, right now everyone’s biggest concern is safety. At Masterlord Office Village, we are leading the way with a range of site-wide procedures that will put your mind at ease. That includes:

• Advanced temperature screening at reception, with an infra-red camera that provides a temperature reading almost immediately.
• Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of all shared areas and facilities, including kitchens, toilets, meeting rooms, lifts and stairwells. 
• Respecting the recommended two metres of social distancing, particularly in public areas and at reception.
• Hand sanitisers in all shared areas and reception, with handwashing with soap and water recommended on arrival.
• Air-conditioning systems that only circulate air in your office and do not introduce air from other parts of the building. 

Virtual offices

If you and your team will continue to work from home, our virtual offices, including a business address, mail redirection service and professional telephone answering service, will help you create the right first impression. As well as being budget-friendly and flexible, you’ll also benefit from free office hours access to Wi-Fi-enabled hot-desking areas and discounted rates on conference room and boardroom hire in Epsilon House.

Your safety is our priority  

We will continue to adapt and adhere to the government safety protocols and do everything we can to support you and your business during these challenging times. Check our availability online or get in touch to discuss your workspace requirements with our team. 

As a freelancer or startup business, working from home might be the obvious choice. After all, it’s a space you’re already paying for and the commute involves rolling out of bed and putting on some clothes (maybe). However, as your business starts to grow, you’re likely to find that working from home has its limitations. In that case, a serviced office could be just what you need. 

Despite the fact that a large part of the workforce is going remote, serviced offices are thriving. Here, with contributions from some of the members of the Masterlord community, are five reasons why.

Accessibility for customers, clients and suppliers

While your house is a great place to live and raise a family, it’s not quite so well suited to growing a business. An important part of scaling a business is being able to meet prospective clients and suppliers in-person. Inviting them to your home or a local coffee shop will not necessarily create the most professional first impression.

At Masterlord Office Village, you’ll not only have your own high-quality commercial premises, but you’ll also be able to use our on-site meeting and conference rooms to show that you run a credible, trustworthy business.

“Masterlord makes it really easy for us to run our business, with a team that is always friendly and helpful and brings a quality of service to our company. Our office is modern and spacious making it the perfect place for working and meeting our clients. Excellent breakout areas for hosting meetings and gaining refreshments brings an added bonus to be part of the Masterlord Estates.” Jules Gregory – Cerebrum Systems Ltd

Protecting your work-life balance

In terms of ease, nothing can beat working from home. However, the lack of separation between your personal and working life can cause problems. Studies have shown that when working from home, people tend to work longer hours. One study found that 40% of remote workers were doing longer hours, while 21% were struggling to switch off from work. 

The truth is that while many of us bemoan the commute, that physical distance between work and home helps us to switch off from work, relax and focus our attention on enjoying our time with our families. 

Networking and collaborating with fellow business owners

One of the greatest benefits of a serviced office is the ability to network and collaborate with business owners in the same position as you. There’ll often be businesses in similar or complementary industries in the same building. They can recommend you to their clients and may even be interested in the products or services you provide themselves. 

To help you make the most of those networking opportunities, we provide communal breakout areas and kitchen facilities on each floor. There are also business lounges and hot-desking areas as well as our on-site café where you can meet likeminded business owners over a cup of coffee and a slice of cake (restrictions permitting of course!).

Having a dedicated space for work

With a serviced office at Masterlord Office Village, you’ll have everything you need to work efficiently. You’ll have superfast broadband, all the office furniture you need, a fully-staffed reception desk, a kitchen and breakout area, cleaning and maintenance services, meeting rooms, networking spaces and even a professional call answering facility if you need one.  

Compare that to the average home office, with wires all over the place, 5-day old mugs of tea, constant distractions, the dog barking outside and the kids banging at the door. It’s easy to see why serviced offices are so popular.      

Allowing your business to scale

Making the move to a serviced office will give your business the room it needs to scale. Your business will appear more credible to clients and customers and the prospect of working for you will be more appealing to new hires. With our flexible agreements, you’ll also be able to upsize and downsize whenever necessary, so you’ll only pay for the space you need. 

“Masterlord Estates is fantastic to run your business from. Everything you need in one place. From meeting rooms to the café down the road,  and let’s not forget the fantastic staff that work in Epsilon house who are more than happy to assist when needed.” Leigh Meadows – Red Oak Taverns

Take your next step with Masterlord Office Village

Ready to find out why your business needs a shared office? Then check our availability or get in touch to discuss your workspace requirements with our team.    

Masterlord Virtual Assistant Service

At Masterlord, we understand the challenges faced by smaller businesses and startups. So we developed a flexible range of solutions to support you, particularly in these uncertain times when making an investment in office space or staff is more difficult.

Our services include a personal Virtual Assistant and the option of a Virtual Office.

So how does it work – and what does it cost?

Rather than paying for your own part-time or full-time receptionist or admin assistant, you pay just £25 a month to have a ‘receptionist’ who knows and understands your business and answers your calls between 8.30 am and 5pm weekdays.

You have an exclusive direct-dial telephone number for your company, answered by a real person using your business name and managing callers in a professional style agreed with you. We can redirect a call automatically to your chosen landline or mobile number, or take a detailed message which we then share with you immediately after the call, via email.

It’s a personal service that creates confidence in anyone contacting your business, without any capital or staff costs. You don’t have to worry about voicemail, missed calls, sickness or holidays: we have that covered for you!

What about a virtual office to create the right impression?

As well as a Virtual Assistant, we can provide a Virtual Office service.

This includes everything you need to create the right first impression:

• A business postal address
• Your company name displayed at Epsilon House
• Discounted rates on the hire of the Epsilon House conference room and boardroom
• A meet and greet facility for your guests at reception
• Discounted use of hot-desk areas for informal meetings with clients
• Free use of the breakout areas within Epsilon House
• Free and secure on-site parking

Switch to a physical office and save

Our Virtual Assistant and Virtual Office services are low-cost, flexible solutions for managing and growing your business, from the beginning of your new endeavour through its development.

We’re here for you every step of the way with as much support as you need, as part of a professional office village on Ransomes Europark – home to well-known companies large and small.

If you find that working from home is limiting growth or simply not efficient, or you need face-to-face interaction between your team members (and clients when that’s possible again), shared office space or serviced offices at Epsilon House could be the next step.

If you decide to upgrade to one of our serviced offices or standalone units, we’ll reimburse you for up to 12 months of your virtual tenancy with us. Check availability or call 01473 276118 and talk to one of our friendly team, or email info@masterlord.co.uk for more information.

Since the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic, the UK has experienced local and national lockdowns, with hundreds of thousands of people losing their jobs and many more making the abrupt shift to home working. 

Lockdown, social distancing and self-isolation has tested the resolve of many people, but working from home while managing changes to their personal circumstances has also been a challenge. Avoiding the commute is often touted as one of the major benefits of working from home, but there are also negative consequences of home working that need to be considered before it is built into a business’s long-term strategy.

The normalisation of home working

The pandemic has rapidly increased the take up of remote and flexible working, with an almost six-fold rise since the start of lockdown. For many people, the switch to home working some of the time has been a positive experience, with research suggesting that, in the future, more than half of employees want to work from home for part of the week.

Thanks to the pandemic, we have learned that, given a decent broadband connection and access to a laptop, most people can get their jobs done from home. Some of the benefits of home working for employees include the ability to work more flexible hours and to reduce the amount of time lost to the commute. However, that only really tells half the story. 

Over the past decade, many big companies have reversed their work-from-home policies to get people back into the office and talking face-to-face. Without an office, those companies have found that employees rarely see each other as a group, there’s a lack of social connection, ideas are not shared, innovation suffers and there’s a dearth of teamwork and culture. That’s many of the things a small business needs to be successful. 

Everything in moderation

Homeworking is proven to be most successful when it’s used as part of a hybrid remote-office way of working. The truth is that most workers want the best of both worlds. This is backed up by the research:

• Nine-in-ten employees preferring to have the option to work remotely
• Only 31% want to work from home for four or five days a week
• 35% would prefer to work from home for two or three days a week
• While 25% would like to spend just one day a week working remotely.

While wasting less time commuting is the biggest benefit of working from home for more than half of employees (54%), this research shows that they still recognise the many benefits an office can bring. Just a few of the benefits associated with working in an office include:

• More Social interaction – The face-to-face social interaction that takes place in offices helps to build a sense of togetherness and culture while working in-person with others generates creativity and innovation. 
• Better mental health – Working from an office creates a work-life boundary that can reduce the number of hours people work and improves mental wellbeing.
• Returning to normal – After the impact the pandemic has had on all of our lives, returning to the office for some of the time will become an important part of a sustainable ‘new normal’. 

Get the best of both worlds with our serviced office spaces

How can small businesses with tight budgets achieve this highly desirable remote-office way of working?

The serviced office spaces we offer here at Masterlord Office Village are the perfect solution. With flexible arrangements available, small businesses can benefit from the social interaction, creativity and sense of culture working together in an office brings, while also giving employees the option to work from home one or two days a week. 

The fully furnished serviced office spaces also benefit from a range of facilities, such as an on-site cafe and creche, which can help employees adapt to their changing circumstances and the new normal. Masterlord offer a wide range of office, industrial and production space suitable for all businesses.

From serviced offices within the popular Business Centre or stand alone units on the estate. With flexible terms, onsite management and a range of space to choose from, Join the Masterlord Office Village community, the ideal business location to make your next move.

Call 01473 276100 or email info@masterlord.co.uk to find out more about the serviced offices at Masterlord Office Village. 

How do you feel about going back to the office in a post-lockdown world? Confused, worried and apprehensive? Or maybe you fall on the side of feeling positive, keen and eager to get back to normality? There are many unknowns and challenges ahead, which could derail even the most positive person. However, with a little careful thinking you can make your return to the office as smooth as possible.

That’s why Suffolk’s premier office village, Masterlord, provides office space with flexible contracts as well as a 30-day notice period.  We see it as being in business together. We’re always flexible, helping small businesses adapt to changing circumstances and find a solution that suits them, without over-committing at a time when the future is unclear. Our friendly, collaborative approach is why we’re home to leading companies large and small, right here on the huge Ransomes Europark.

When we begin transitioning back to life in the office things are going to look and feel quite different to how they were throughout 2020. Everyone’s situation will be unique. However, despite the disruption that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused, the office still has a fundamental role to play in the future of businesses of every shape and size.

Of all the businesses we’ve spoken to, home working is not the cure-all some articles proclaim it to be. Some workers are far less productive at home than in the office while video conferencing can be a poor substitute for face-to-face meetings with clients, colleagues and management.

Home working

For some people, working from home has given them a work-life balance they’ve never had, while others have felt isolated or stressed and miss the camaraderie and social interaction that comes from office working.

Says Masterlord’s Abbi Dawson:

“We’ve found that many of our tenants enjoy coming into the office to see friendly faces, even if for a few days a week. We always offer flexible solutions for businesses to make their work as easy as possible, and have remained open throughout lockdowns and different tier restrictions, looking after essential workers and others.”

Your own business premises

Small businesses with long-term office contracts do not have flexibility when they really need it. It’s not just rent to worry about, there are also bills for security, utilities, furniture, internet and phone services.

For employers, it is a physical space to bring people together, coordinate activity and output and boost creativity. For employees, it facilitates face-to-face interaction and allows for mentoring and managing in a way that home working cannot replicate. Even after the recent successes of working from home, after the pandemic, very few employees want to continue with home working full time.

A few of the benefits of a rented office space include:

• Motivation – For most people, working in an office surrounded by colleagues who are working towards a common goal helps them focus and pushes them to succeed.
• Support and training – Working from home can be incredibly isolating, particularly for workers who need support or are new to the role and require training. Many workers need guidance and want a sense of belonging that only office working can bring. 
• Communication – Not everyone is a great communicator via email, over the phone or on video conferencing. An office allows people to communicate in a way that suits them. Research suggests that face-to-face communication can be 34 times more effective than a text-based conversation.

Office spaces are changing 

There is little doubt that Covid-19 is going to accelerate changes in office use and the type of arrangements and facilities businesses will look for when choosing rented office spaces. Previously, factors such as inflexible and long-term contractual agreements and the costs associated with setting up an office were reasons why some small businesses may have favoured a home working arrangement.

We provide flexible renting options and terms and conditions that can meet the changing needs of businesses. Work-ready offices remove the costs and time associated with setting up an office, while our on-site nursery facilities allow you to better manage any childcare requirements your teams may have. 

Perhaps most importantly, Covid-19 has made the health and wellbeing of employees a priority. We provide facilities such as an onsite cafe, modern, well-lit offices with a greater focus on space and a thermal detection camera on entry for reassurance and peace of mind. This is our on-going commitment to our tenants’ safety. 

Covid-safe serviced office spaces

The rollout of the coronavirus vaccine provides increased hope that small businesses will soon be able to return to something approaching normal. With the flexible contracts and excellent facilities offered here at Masterlord Office Village, you can welcome the new normal in an office space where every safety precaution has been taken and your business is supported as it recovers and grows.  

So what are the flexible solutions at Masterlord? 

– We offer shared office space without tying your business into a long-term contractual agreement. It’s affordable and puts you at the heart of a supportive business community in a fully equipped office.  

• With a notice period of just 30 days, our tenants have the peace of mind to be able to adapt to a constantly changing business environment, reducing risk and capital expenditure.
• Flexible contracts or monthly rolling agreements allow small businesses to find a workspace solution that suits them now, and gives the agility to upsize if you need more space.
• We offer the fastest broadband speeds in the area and a range of telephone options. This, plus free parking, a popular onsite café and even a nursery for the little ones, makes us a unique choice in Suffolk.

You can check our availability and take advantage of our exclusive ‘try before you buy’ deal. Just pay £100 to rent an office for a week and we’ll refund the money in full if you enter into one of our flexible contracts. We’re here for you!

To find out more about the shared office space and serviced offices that we offer, please call our friendly team on 01473 276118 or email info@masterlord.co.uk.

We’re so excited that the Masterlord café is open again!

It’s takeaway only during Tier 2 restrictions but new owner James Harrington can’t wait to fully open when restrictions are lifted, to show off his new look Kings Coffee House.

Who can resist a home-made sausage roll with melt-in-the-mouth pastry and caramelised onions, a fresh breakfast roll or delicious salad box made to order with your favourite ingredients?

James has been based in Ipswich for 32 years and has great plans for the best café in the area. He starts baking at 7am every day to deliver fresh goodies for everyone to enjoy.

With his food background as commercial director of a blue chip company, he knows what people like and is enjoying his new business as “there’s no commuting, planes, trains or hotels and I’m 15 minutes away!”

During lockdown, James has been busy redecorating, fitting new equipment and lighting. He plans to maintain the high-quality food standards that customers expect and to expand the range in future.  Try a delicious hot chicken goujon wrap with sweet chilli sauce, followed by a slice of moist home-made cake packed with fruit, baked by James’ wife Liz.  The range of burgers, sandwiches, salads, wraps and cakes is mouth-watering.

When we hopefully go to Tier 1, upstairs at Kings has welcoming leather sofas and tables for eating in or catered business buffet lunches booked in advance.

For now, save time and order in advance on 01473 237377 or email kingscoffeehouse@aol.com then collect and pay at the Pickup window.

Kings Coffee House is open 7.30am to 3pm weekdays.  Breakfast is the best way to start your day, with a huge choice of coffees and teas and a freshly-made breakfast roll.

With customers visiting from John Lewis, Audi and many other companies in the area, the secret of Kings is out – and it’s right on your doorstep at Masterlord Office Village!

Watch out for more news soon.