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OFFICE SPACE NORTH DORSET
Another month has flown by at The Wincombe Centre, and our corridors have been buzzing with energy, ideas and inspiration. Here’s a look at what’s been happening during October.
On the 8th, we encouraged our hard-working business folk to step away from their desks to join us for a FREE ‘Coffee and Cake Break’. We ordered some amazing Lavendar Blue cakes from Udder Farm Shop and opened up reception and The Melbury Room to set up our little Wincombe Coffee shop! It was lovely to catch up with everyone as we are so often just locked into our own business world and simply get to say a quick hello as we pass in the corridors. It was a great opportunity for our virtual office tenants to meet those based at the centre too and for the new starters to introduce themselves.
At the end of the morning, we discovered that we had a whole coffee and walnut cake left over, so we walked across the road to Bramley Home Care and asked Robert to take it to one of their homes so that the residents might enjoy a little afternoon treat! They were hugely appreciative (and Robert ‘reluctantly’ handed it over!).
It’s been all go with businesses new and old. Lilywhite Mortgages, who were a start up business in September, had a successful launch and have been working on setting up their brand and building connections, Bid & Box are making the most of their new large office having outgrown their little start up unit. We’ve welcomed three new businesses – A & L Executive, a fabulous local coach hire company, CrowdComms Ltd, an event tech company based in Blandford, and London Interior designer Noami Astley Clarke, who are all settling in well. We did have to say a very sad goodbye to Nigel from Unit 12 however, who has retired and is moving away from the area. The Wincombe Centre Licence Agreements require just two weeks-notice to leave or move within the centre but that doesn’t mean people don’t stay long…..Nigel was with us for almost 15 years, so we will miss him dearly. He only moved out this week, but we’ve already let his unit (sorry Nige!) and are thrilled to be welcoming mental health warriors, The Brave & Determined Charity, back to the centre next week. Weldon’s Sales & Lettings have been going from strength to strength. Callum joined us for his first office, just six years ago and has now opened a second site as a high street shop front in Sherborne. It’s wonderful to see all his hard work paying off, and we know he and his team will be a big success in this new area as they are in Shaftesbury.
More successes were rewarded at The Shaftesbury Business Awards this month. We are proud to sponsor the category of Excellence in Customer Service Award and really enjoy attending the ceremony every year. Nigel from Marketing West launched the awards to celebrate small business locally so they are a fabulous opportunity to nominate businesses that you feel need to know how much they are appreciated. Louise from Honour Jewellery deservedly won Independent Business of the Year and Lucy from The Dorset Acupuncturist won Rising Star/Young Entrepreneur. Lucy came to the centre a year ago before she’d even qualified and has grown a successful business in her practice, helping people transform their health.
The meeting rooms have both been busy this month. B V Dairy held a training course here over three weeks which provided us with a layout challenge. Luckily The Ridley Room is a flexible space, so we were able to create a great learning space for the trainer and 6 delegates. We also provided lunch every day!
We use all of our business where possible and always choose to use local when we must look further afield to get things done. Total Energy Services from Blandford have been in to service our 5 Gas boilers so were reluctantly ready for the winter months. Family Business of the Year, Clearstone Solutions, (A wincombe Centre business who grew out onto the business park) clean our building render, solar panels, patios and paths and every month – our windows. They chose the rainiest day to come this week, but they still gleam! 4C Managed Services (who moved in in May) installed a new PC for Anne on reception last week to replace our old, tired workhorse (The desktop that is NOT Anne!!) Jazz was amazing and the whole process was seamless! He even managed to resolve a couple of long-term issues that I’d had with my laptop connectivity, so we are very happy.
So, you see the pulse of the centre never stops! We’ve had a fabulous October. Hope you have too. Bring on November where we are trying really hard to let our LAST available unit, so that I can brag to the Directors at our meeting that we’re 100% full. If you know someone looking for a two-desk office space… please send them our way.
