Having a successful London-based business is a dream for many, and when they achieve it they think of where they can next expand to. If you are thinking of growing your operations and expanding to a second city in the UK, there are several that might catch your attention. Here are some of the reasons that you should consider Bristol over somewhere like Birmingham or Manchester.
Costs
Up first will always come the costs of moving. Wherever you go, there is going to be a drop down from what you have to pay in London. This is one of the most expensive cities in the world, so it is a good thing that you have got your exposure to the costs here out the way early. Therefore, you can enjoy some of the savings that will arise out of this more affordable office elsewhere.
Bristol is a great city to set up in if costs are a concern for you. It is not as expensive as some places that you could choose, but you will still find some offices with a great location and facilities.
You also have to consider the costs that could affect your employees too. Bristol is a good city in terms of quality of living, and nothing is too overly expensive here. You should be able to find some great options for both accommodation and activities to do outside of work. Whether employees are relocating to Bristol or you are hiring new, they should be able to create a good life for themselves and their families here.
Help
Every business is going to need help from others in their set-up. Opening a new branch is going to take a lot of time and effort to get right, and to ensure that the new office is indeed going to be a success. Therefore, it is incredibly important that you take the time to find people who can help you build a solid foundation for the business to grow from.
These people want to be local to Bristol, ideally. They will have more of an idea about how things work locally, and they might be able to help grease wheels faster thanks to their own reputation within the local community. You could opt for someone from your London office, but they might not be able to get things done as effectively or as efficiently.
For example, opening a new office means that you are going to be hiring a lot of new people. Finding the best employment lawyer Bristol has to offer is always going to be a better choice for looking over your contracts and helping with some of the small details that comes with opening an office here. You could even then choose to keep them on with a retainer fee, if they prove to be extra helpful.
Expertise
If you are involved in the tech or engineering business, then you should definitely consider Bristol as a place to head to. There are some amazing developments happening here, and it is one of the UK’s best places for STEM. There are several good universities nearby if you wish to pull from the graduate market or take on interns for projects, and there are many connections with other big-name companies that you can draw on.
This is just one of the industries at play in this busy city. No matter what you happen to be based in at the moment, you should find that there are some brilliant connections to be made and opportunities to be chased from within Bristol.
If you are juggling different cities when trying to decide where you want to open a second office, Bristol should definitely be high on your list. There is so much on offer from this amazing city, and it could prove to be a brilliant place for your company to settle down in. Fully investigate what is on offer for you here, and then consider opening your second office. There are so many resources that you can pull on, and it will hopefully lead to the next chapter of success in the life of your business, whatever it may be.