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Tips to Starting Up your Company in Glasgow

If you’re a small or medium-sized business, finding affordable office space in parts of the UK can be a nightmare. For example, a business looking to get a foothold in London will find rents in most parts of the city, especially central London, upwards of £55,000 per year. But many are finding that there are other places to grow your business in the UK before gaining a foothold in London.

One of the best places to do business outside London and its environs is Glasgow. Once ‘Second City’ of the Empire, and a major port and shipbuilding centre, Glasgow is reinventing itself with a dynamic modern art scene (it is a former European Capital of Culture) and host of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Glasgow is widely considered the business and entertainment capital of Scotland.

Artists love the city because of its combination of gritty and beautiful architecture, and the affordable industrial and office spaces available in this teeming city of - when suburbs and surrounding areas are included - 1.2 million people, making it the third largest urban centre in Britain. Glasgow office space is plentiful, though increasingly in demand as the city regenerates with intriguing new business areas, including a major retail and housing development along the River Clyde, and the revitalized Merchant City area.

Here are a few top tips for anyone looking for office space in Glasgow or beyond:

1) Consider Value Over Cost: What amenities are included with your office space? Conference rooms? Utilities? Where is the space located - and will this contribute to your bottom line? Will it create a more dynamic atmosphere that could improve your business?

2) What You Want Versus What You Need: Why do you need office space? By listing the top three or four reasons office space is necessary, you will be better able to compare your ‘wants’ against your ‘needs’ when it comes to finding the right location.

3) Culture Clash?: Make sure your business ‘fits in’ with the other businesses in your office complex, especially if there is plenty of shared space. There could even be intriguing synergies and connections amongst businesses in your office complex if you all share a similar ethos, or work in industries with interesting overlaps and connections.

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