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Workspace Group PLC

Workspace Group PLC. Creative Businesses And Workspace Group. Harry Platt Chief Executive 17 November 2005. Workspace Group PLC. Workspace Group: Who are we? Comments on Creative Sector and Property Role of Public Sector. History: Growth in assets and shareholder value.

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Workspace Group PLC

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  1. Workspace Group PLC Creative Businesses And Workspace Group Harry Platt Chief Executive 17 November 2005

  2. Workspace Group PLC Workspace Group: Who are we? Comments on Creative Sector and Property Role of Public Sector

  3. History: Growth in assets and shareholder value • Founded in 1987 • Listing on London Stock Exchange 1993 • Last equity issue 1994 • Now: Gross Assets over £850 million

  4. Our Business • “ We provide affordable, flexible space for new and small businesses in London and the South East ” • c.4,000 customers over 107 estates; nearly 6 million • sq .ft • Over 7,700 enquiries a year; market leading brand in • fragmented market • A simple product offer • Superior service from in-house management • Customer focused

  5. Changing Environments

  6. Recent Acquisitions The Quadrangle, SW6 Chiswick Studios, W4 Southgate Office Village, N14 Southbank House, SE1 Homesdale Business Centre, Bromley Lombard House, Croydon

  7. Total Percentage of Customers by DTI Categories

  8. Comments on Creative Sector and Property • Part of SME sector • Affordability • Clusters of Buildings • Communities of customers • Character and services of buildings • Incubation

  9. Part of SME Sector • Stock of businesses • Starts and exits: scale and churn • Most exits are successes • Do not confuse businesses with owners

  10. Affordability: Customer Profile Typical Workspace tenant: Rent under 5% of turnover Source: Kingston University survey of over 200 customers. Spring 2004

  11. 1. Kennington Park Studios, SW9 2. Westminster Business Square, SE11 3. Southbank House, SE1 4. Linton House, SE1 5. Great Guildford Business Centre, SE1 6. The Leathermarket, SE1 7. Enterprise Estate, SE1 8. Hatfield House, SE1 9. Tower Bridge Business Centre, SE16 Scale = 1:25000 9 Clusters e.g.The Southbank Portfolio

  12. Communities of Customers • On individual sites • Between sites • Tradelink

  13. Homepage Searchable, up-to-date, tenant directory Calendar ofevents fromWSG & beyond Message boards for customer interaction Press from andabout tenants(e.g. Awards)

  14. Marketing

  15. Customers and Buildings Westminster Business Square The Leathermarket Faircharm Trading Estate

  16. Customers and Buildings Pall Mall Deposit Barley Mow Centre Westgate Centre

  17. Incubators What do business incubators provide?   -         Suitable Space          - Flexibility of tenure - Low entry costs          - Benevolent operator - Business support and mentoring systems in place -        Mandatory churn

  18. THE LONDON YOUTH SUPPORT TRUST Founded in 2001 to work with the Princes Trust because:      - start-ups could not find or afford premises (20% went through process of getting grant funding but could not draw down loan because they could not find premises) - start-ups needed specialist support over and above the mentor system to increase survival chances

  19. N17 STUDIOS

  20. EUROART • an independent multi-disciplinary contemporary arts incubator • started with own funding, no external assistance • specialist, whereas LYST very diverse • focus not on training/teaching residents how to write a business plan, but how to get their work out for sale/get a market • Partnership broker to make things happen • run on a commercial basis with affordability created by sympathetic terms from Workspace and subdivision to high value small space • not as much fundamental support in terms of business development but do provide critique and mentoring for resident artists • supported by the operator not in same way as LYST • operator actively promotes and markets the artists • regular exhibitions of work and invite art consultants to visit • benefits from working in a like minded community

  21. IS WORKSPACE GROUP AN INCUBATOR

  22. WORKSPACE TENANTS – A VERY GENERAL PROFILE • Eclectic mix of micro businesses in a broad range of sectors • Usually been established in business for a couple of years • High proportion in the creative industry • Unlikely to be concerned with issues affecting companies with 10 or more employees such as: - • Exit strategies • Venture capital • IPO’s • They identify with freedom and creativity • Generally anti-corporate • Financially challenged from time to time but have a fair idea of business demands • Looking for a workplace that reflects what they are trying to achieve • Lives in and out of the workplace not clearly differentiated and time poor • High proportion of women

  23. CONCLUSION Workspace Group IS an incubator, but perhaps for bigger babies. It still provides most of what an incubator does, apart from the business support and mentoring. It is an ideal next step when time’s up in the incubator

  24. Role of Public Sector • Complimentary not competitive to private sector • Targeted incubators - groups • - sectors • Targeted finance support • Showcasing • Talent and Human Resources/Skills • Business support with growth/added value focus not ‘ancillary’

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