ARCHITECT Neil Scroxton, Managing Director of MBA, considers the benefits of a rural base.
One of the first considerations when setting up in business is where are we going to work?. For most of us that start a business with nothing more than a good idea and a will to succeed; the back bedroom is often the beginning of our empires. At MBA we had a tough decision to take after about two years of full-time trading on where our new office location should be.
The question was, should we take the cheaper rents and proximity to potential clients that a town location would give us or do we choose the more expensive option of taking space in a business village that comes with a shorter commute (about 94 seconds door to door in my case)?
Admittedly, the decision process was weighted. Having two office dogs meant a rural location was preferable. We also wanted to expand quickly and needed somewhere that had potential for us to take more square footage. We chose Strixton Manor Business Centre and we were lucky to get the first floor of a converted stone barn. At the time, there were four of us and now we are 16 strong and still growing.
The setting is fantastic; rolling countryside, singing birds and numerous sheep are the backdrop to our expanding business. Our workforce is happy and healthy, with many taking breaks to walk the dogs to get fresh air or eating outside in good weather. Personally, most of us have saved on fuel and we do not spend hours sitting in traffic. This has allowed to more family time for some and generally provides a less stressful day for all. We are a short distance from three rail stations that take us into London or Birmingham and can quickly get to the M1 for client meetings nationally. Most importantly, we spend more time doing good things for our clients.
So, when you next have to make the decision on where to locate your office, ask yourself “should my morning be spent in traffic jams or spending a few more minutes around the breakfast table (reference strawberry jam) with my family?’. We tell everyone that all buildings deserve to be loved, and working in a business village, we certainly love ours.
To find out more about MBA see the website at www.matchboxarchitects.co.uk or call 01933 698001.
