A NEW Salisbury venture is aiming to help the thousands of people who have been forced to work from home because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Salisbury Office is an independent flexible workspace, located in the heart of the city. It offers nine luxury ‘pods’ that people can hire by the day, week or month.

During the first lockdown, a survey from Nuffield Health found that 80% of Brits felt that working from home had negatively impacted their mental health. Now, Philip Connolly and Marcus Reynolds are hoping to remedy that.

Together they undertook a new office refurbishment at 3 Endless Street, and now the ground floor – which used to be the William Hill Bookmakers - has six single and three dual occupancy ‘pods’.

An interior designer has given each office a different look and feel but all ‘pods’ come with: a desk (with a standing-desk option), ergonomic chair, 24” computer monitor, bluetooth keyboard with mouse and universal docking port. Superfast secure broadband and Wi-Fi are also included.

There is also a kitchen area and toilet facilities.

Philip said: “The aim of the business is to allow those currently working from home to spend the odd day per month away from home to relieve the pressures of having to work and live within the same four walls. We are Covid secure, follow the relevant social distancing protocols and truly believe we offer a service which has a positive effect on workers’ mental health and productivity given their current working conditions. We really feel that change can be as good as a rest.”

“We’ve created an environment where anybody wanting an alternative to the home office can come and work comfortably and securely. Our vision is to provide a flexi-office with all the technology required to work efficiently and also to create a sense of personalisation and belonging - embellishing all the best parts of working from home.”

Salisbury BID is encouraged to see another vacant property transformed by two local entrepreneurs offering innovative solutions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Salisbury Office is a welcome addition to the city centre, as the latest vacancy rates (January 2021) show Salisbury is standing at 10.6% - below the national average of 11.7% and the South West rate of 12.8%.

Dan Collins, Business Manager for Salisbury BID, says: “We are thrilled to welcome The Salisbury Office to the city centre. With so many people finding it difficult to gain a work-life balance at home, Philip and Marcus have found a practical solution.

"For Salisbury, it is great to have this kind of facility that offers flexibility. We are sure the Salisbury business community will get behind them. “With new businesses like The Salisbury Office and Clearway Pets choosing our wonderful city as their base, and with a roadmap out of lockdown now revealed, we move into spring with a positive outlook.”

 

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