How To Choose the Ideal Business Unit

Locating and securing the right business unit for your operation is essential. Selecting the ideal business unit is vital in maintaining efficient operations and keeping your clients satisfied.

In this blog post, we explore how to choose the most appropriate business unit. Below, we outline some key thoughts and considerations, along with information about what our business units at Wrest Park Business Centre specifically offer to clients.

What Qualifies as a Business Unit?

Generally, a UK business unit is a multipurpose building that offers tenants a range of uses and facilities. It is typically a one- or two-storey building, and ideally self-contained, as demonstrated with Wrest Park Business Centre. It also includes washroom facilities.

An educational company may choose to provide its students with workshops, training sessions, and multi-day courses. These can be viewed live via a high-speed fibre internet connection or attended in person.

A private photography studio or a location where print work is completed could be an additional option. While still being close to local transportation, a business centre setting offers the benefits of being removed from the hustle of a high street location.

What Industry Types or Work Purposes Are a Good Match?

Small enterprises, regardless of size, benefit from a well-organised workspace, particularly when operating from a single, self-contained location. Matching the right industry or work purpose with the appropriate unit setup can greatly enhance productivity and client experience.

A standard two-storey business unit includes a ground floor with generous headroom and a smaller mezzanine or upper level, typically accessed by stairs. This layout creates a bright, open atmosphere that contrasts sharply with the feel of a conventional rented office, thanks to its internal vertical space and abundant natural light.

Double doors and level access make it simple to move goods and machinery in and out, particularly when using pallets, making these units highly practical. They also suit a trade counter setup: with a customer-facing front area, storage at the rear (making full use of the unit’s height with racking), and sales or administrative functions housed in the first-floor office.

So, which industries are a good match? It varies considerably. Educational centres thrive with the open layout and adaptable configuration. Print and production operations can accommodate heavy or bulky machinery without restrictions. Retailers serving local enterprises or specialised clientele also prosper in this environment.

Availability of Different Size Business Units On-Site

Partnering with a business facility that offers multiple spaces of different sizes proves beneficial when evaluating a business unit.

What makes this important? Simply put, you will not be compelled to choose a unit that is either inadequate or excessive for your requirements – you might appreciate the area, yet find the available spaces unsuitable, meaning your lengthy property hunt continues.

Our business units at Wrest Park Business Centre span from 880 square feet up to an expansive 24,000 square feet. Companies can grow their operations and expand beyond their existing unit without concern about insufficient available space.

One Storey or Two?

One Storey

Entrepreneurs might choose a single-storey, ground-level business unit. They often favour this setup since everything remains easily accessible.

Multi-storey

A mezzanine floor or a second storey separate from the ground level could be advantageous to other owners. This allows them to work peacefully at their desk but remain aware of everything happening below.

If it is not too heavy, another approach is to place noisier equipment on the top floor. If the equipment produces excessive heat, it is kept away from staff and customers.

Wrest Park Business Centre features several two-storey buildings available for lease as commercial spaces.

Access to Offices or Meeting Rooms

Sometimes, a small business requires access to a conference space or meeting room to have a private conversation with a potential client or a member of staff. In other situations, it becomes necessary to rent a private office for two or more people to work on projects undisturbed.

It is advantageous when a business unit forms part of a larger business centre or business park. This ensures they can rent an office or a meeting room for a day or a longer duration, as required.

At Wrest Park Business Centre, we offer serviced offices, day offices, and hot desks to cater to your office requirements. Also, meeting rooms and conference rooms are available. Like the business units, these have internet access, and the meeting rooms support video conferencing.

Food and Drink Nearby

Do not forget that employees need food and drink. Half their lunch break may be sacrificed battling midday traffic on a food run. Therefore, business centres require options to cater to everyone.

At our Silsoe location, we are served by The Avenue Kitchen, our on-site cafe that provides a variety of hot and cold meals, snacks, freshly prepared food, and chilled beverages. The village also features a Co-op and The Star & Garter pub.

Transportation Links

Business units are typically located away from busy pedestrianised areas. They are found most commonly at commercial business parks, business centres, or industrial estates.

These commercial sites need to be close to excellent transit connections. This provides quick access to regional or international airports, as well as the ability to connect with motorways to reach other cities.

For instance, Wrest Park Business Centre is situated just 15 minutes from the M1 or A1, with convenient access via the A421 and A6. This provides easy access to nearby Bedford, Luton, Milton Keynes, and is just 45 minutes from London via Thameslink.

Parking Access

Properly illuminated, designated parking spaces reserved for your business unit are essential. Without these, visitors might abandon their visit before they even step into your retail outlet, gallery, or training facility.

Our site provides over 400 parking spaces for our business units at Wrest Park Business Centre. Additionally, on-site EV chargers can charge an electric vehicle while you work.

The Wrest Park Business Centre Advantage

Operating within a stunning 90-acre parkland setting provides an inspiring backdrop that enhances creativity and well-being. Our historic estate location delivers a unique blend of heritage charm and contemporary workspace solutions, creating an atmosphere that distinguishes us from typical commercial developments.

Our expansive campus accommodates diverse business requirements with 157 managed offices across three business centres, flexible coworking options, and extensive meeting facilities. This comprehensive approach means growing businesses can evolve within our community without needing to relocate elsewhere.

Being positioned in Central Bedfordshire with excellent transport connections delivers the best of both worlds – peaceful parkland surroundings while maintaining convenient access to major business centres, serving Bedford, Luton, Milton Keynes, and surrounding areas effectively.

Important Considerations When Choosing

While our diverse unit sizes accommodate various requirements, carefully assess your current needs alongside your projected growth. Consider whether your operations may benefit from our flexible lease terms starting from just three months, or if longer-term arrangements better suit your business planning approach.

Evaluate your specific industry requirements against our available facilities to determine the best fit. Manufacturing or storage-intensive businesses should consider our 24/7 access options and loading capabilities, while service-based companies might prioritise our meeting room facilities and professional environment.

Our all-inclusive approach covers utilities, maintenance, and facility management, which simplifies budgeting but requires understanding what level of service integration works best for your particular operations.

Conclusion

A considerable amount of effort goes into selecting the ideal business unit for your operation. It must tick numerous boxes to be the optimal choice.

Factors to consider include unit size, layout configuration, office availability, transportation options, excellent parking facilities, and a couple of places to grab a bite to eat.

If you believe we have a business unit that is an ideal match for you, please do not hesitate to get in touch.