#regus connect

[regusconnect]

Our 12 Christmas Gifs To You!

Is there a better time of year for some self-indulgent reflection? Here's our contribution to the season of gif-giving: our journey so far.

1. We had an idea...

3. The green light was given...

4. We got busy...

5. The Regus Connect idea was to bring

freelancers...

students...

and businesses...

together, under one roof.

6. We opened a vote to see where we should bring our first hubs...

7. And you were all like....

the votes poured in... 

and so did the support...

8. We then did the maths.

 9. And announced our first 3 hubs! 

10. London, Birmingham and Manchester were all like this...

11. We were like this

  and start-ups.co.uk published this 

We found some local support here... 

...and here

12. Which finally brings us to here, and now. We're busy working on the design and launch of the first 3 hubs, meanwhile...

The next 7 hubs are still up for grabs. Where?

Thanks to all the tweeters, bloggers, voters and coworking fans for your support this year, we couldn't have done it without you! Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and a successful new year. See you in 2014 Connectors! 

[regusconnect]

London, Manchester, Birmingham - Here we come!

We have news! The first three Regus Connect hubs are on their way! We’re pleased to announce that London, Birmingham and Manchester will be the first cities to host one of our new coworking hubs, dedicated to freelancers, students and interns. 

The first three hubs will arrive early in the new year. 

London, Birmingham and Manchester have dominated the poll for so long, we’ve decided to book the train tickets, pack our bags and take our coworking hubs to the top three. 

If we’ve learnt anything over the last few months, it’s that you guys sure think that London, Birmingham and Manchester are suited to freelancers and coworkers. The first Regus Connect hubs will be making their way to the capital, the Midlands and the North West this 2014, and opening their doors to freelancers, students, interns and the business networks that need them. 

What about my area? The next 7 hubs are all for the taking. Votes are still open for the 30+ city options across the UK.

Can I still get involved in the London, Manchester and Birmingham hubs? Yes. The poll is still open, all new votes will count and you can register your interest and receive updates for those spaces via the voting form. Don't forget, each new voter receives a free 5-day pass, just to say thanks.

I’m based in Manchester, Birmingham or London, what happens next? If you’re a freelancer, student or business in that area just make sure you’ve voted in the poll and provided your email address. We’ll be in touch with updates specific to your location. You can also follow us on Twitter @regusconnect for more regular news and share your support via #connectmycity.

[Hot off the press: Regus announces launch of 10 regional ‘Regus Connect’ enterprise hubs - Startups.co.uk.  Our CEO, Mark Dixon talks plans and motivations for our new hubs - make sure to take a look!]

[regusconnect]

Why the UK is on course for a Perfect Storm of SME demand and Freelance supply

The folks at Ingenious Britain kindly published our thoughts last week, on the state of the freelance marketplace and what the future holds for SMEs.

It’s been a long time coming, but British entrepreneurs are finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and StartUp Britain’s famous homepage Tracker is testament to that. Since the beginning of the year, 413,525 new businesses have been set up - but that’s the easy part...

With over 40,000+ SME customers in the UK alone, Regus is well aware of the the trials and tribulations of setting up and running small businesses. From juggling limited funding and resources, to bridging skills gaps in core teams.

A growing number of firms are now choosing to outsource work to freelancers  - three-quarters when they need specific expertise and skillsets - which as startups and growing SMEs will know, is very often. In the coming year, 6 out of 10 companies surveyed by Odesk were expecting to hire more freelance workers.

It’s no surprise that a recent report by PeoplePerHour shows that 82% of those SMEs view hiring freelancers as vital to growth. And not just to cut costs. Local workers are often more cost-effective than farther-flung freelancers, even if they have to charge higher rates. The added flexibility that temporary workers bring means that businesses can be better placed to respond quickly and efficiently to changing industry demands and budgets; and for 90% of these businesses, individual departments are now the ones making the hiring decisions, as soon the need for specialist expertise arises.

Meanwhile, rates of self-employment in the UK are on the up-and-up, whether that means contractors, ‘solopreneurs’, or traditional freelancers. That’s a figure that looks set to keep on rising, even as rates of those forced into self-employment by the recession start to level off - a recent report by Regus highlights that 83% of recession-made entrepreneurs would do it again, and recent stats say the majority of ‘after-hours’ freelancers are looking to quit the day job and go fully independent in the next two years.

We’re on course for the perfect storm of SME demand and freelance supply, but the marketplace is already difficult to navigate. For businesses the trouble lies in finding, hiring and managing talent - where to look, who to trust and how best to manage? It’s a process that often results in wasted time scanning online websites and freelancer databases or money on recruiters: the choice is overwhelming, candidates can be deceptively marketed, workstreams are inefficiently managed across emails and phone.

The problem for freelancers is standing out from the competition and staying on top of their game. Feeling unproductive and distracted, homeworkers cite their lack of coworkers as a problem, with no chance to take a break, swap skills or catch up on industry gossip.  Competition is fierce online, with hundreds of other capable and available workers from all over the world bidding for work. Recent findings by the PCG even show that fewer freelancers are choosing to work from home, simply because finding new clients is more effective for those who get out there and network face-to-face.

Here at Regus, we’re launching a new campaign called Regus Connect, which brings together our 45,000+ SME customers, spread over 220 UK business centres, with the freelancers they need, in an environment that freelancers want: local, collaborative and affordable, offering unrivalled opportunities for personal networking with potential clients and peers. We think we have something incredibly exciting on the horizon. We would love to know if you do too.

About the author: 

Regus Connect is launching dedicated freelancer hubs across 10 of their UK centres this January 2014. With over 220 business centres across the UK, Regus want you - businesses and freelancers - to vote to determine where. Find out more and vote to bring Regus Connect to your city at www.regusconnect.com - you’ll also win yourself a free 5-day pass to over 1200+ global business lounges in the process.

[regusconnect]

Free 5day Passes for every vote! +Win a Regus Gold Card

For everyone who’s voted on regusconnect.com so far, to bring one of our pilot sites to their city in January - you’re about to get your first real taste of Regus Connect life.

Over the course of this week we’ll be getting in touch with you, our voters, via email to bestow upon you 5 free day passes. Each one lets you visit any Regus centre in the UK (there are 220+, so there’s bound to be one near you) for a single day. Everything is taken care of, wi-fi, refreshments, admin; so you can just turn up and crack on with your work. It’s a great opportunity to get a feel for the kind of location, space and community you could be working from, in just a few short months.

If you’re reading this and haven’t yet voted, don’t worry. We’ll also be giving away more 5day passes so watch this space.

But that’s not all…

Over on Facebook we've just kickstarted a massive giveaway. All month, you’ll have lots of chances to win Regus Gold Cards, which give you longer access to our Lounges - for either 3, 6 or 12 months - in over 1600 locations worldwide! Head over to facebook.com/regusconnectuk and simply click ‘Like’ on one of our giveaway posts to enter. Good luck and godspeed!