According to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) there were 5.8 million small businesses in the UK at the start of 2019 – an increase of 200,000 on the previous year.
The organisation classes a small business as having between 0 and 49 employees. Companies such as these account for 99.3 per cent of the country’s total business population. Small businesses are vital to our economy in terms of employment – SMEs account for three fifths (60 per cent) of the employment in the UK’s private sector – an impressive 16.6 million people. And that’s without the £2.2 TRILLION in turnover they generate!
It seems more and more people are feeling the entrepreneurial urge and wanting to give setting up their own business a go. Although the hours can be long and the responsibility high, the financial rewards, flexibility and sense of achievement can definitely be worth it. McCarthy’s wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the entrepreneurial get up and go of our founder Mick more than 50 years ago!
Here at McCarthy’s we have our very own Business Centre in Leeds – serviced offices which make an ideal home for small businesses. Perhaps your current premises aren’t working for you, you’re fed up of working at home, you’re hiring a team or you just want to put forward a more professional image – whatever your reason for making the move, McCarthy’s Business Centre can offer everything you need.
We have offices to suit a range of business sizes, suitable for one man bands to teams of 12. Offices are furnished and all have natural light – you want to enjoy your working environment! Facilities include a kitchen area with complementary tea and coffee, showers and break out areas with a TV – perfect for when you need to get a fresh perspective. There’s even a roof balcony area with benches – ideal for a enjoying a sandwich in the sunshine!
All utilities and business rates are included, so you know exactly what you’ll be paying each month. We try keep everything as simple as possible, with no red tape and no stress! Phone lines and high speed broadband are ready to go as soon as you move in. You can come and go as you need, each office is alarmed and the building is monitored 24 hours a day.
With a staffed reception area, there’s always someone to sign for business-hour deliveries. We can arrange for your phones to be answered in your own company name, giving you the professional ‘scale of operation’ appearance. So really, you can get a receptionist, cleaner and facilities manager all included in the price of your rent! Meeting rooms are also available, giving you an ideal space for presentations or client catch ups.
Conveniently located just outside Leeds city centre, there’s ample free parking, so you don’t need to worry about finding a space – or bankrupting yourself to pay for it! It’s only a 10-minute car journey from Leeds train station too and lots of buses pass by.
If you also need storage, we have our self storage units situated across the car park – handy! So, you can store and easily access any stock you need, scaling up or down the size of your unit as you need to. No point cluttering up your nice new office with it all! If storage is all you need, don’t forget that as well as Leeds, we also have McCarthy’s self storage in Harrogate and McCarthy’s self storage in Wakefield.
If you don’t really need an office, but you do want to create the right image for your business, you could consider a virtual office or mailbox service with us. We can provide a phone answering service (for any number you like) which we can either forward on or take messages for; a post and parcel delivery address; and preferential rates on meeting rooms. Perfect if you’re not quite ready to take the plunge on an office just yet.
Perhaps now is the time to start planning how 2020 could be the year your business really takes off!