Manchester is one of the UK’s largest and most economically powerful cities, and it is growing constantly. Co-working spaces are also increasing in popularity, so if you are a budding entrepreneur looking for a base, there are plenty of options available. It all depends what you want from your space.
Co-working spaces can offer a degree of flexibility, as well as control over your environment. There is more freedom than in the traditional corporate office and it can provide a sense of community even while allowing you to pursue your own projects. These advantages are part of why these types of space are becoming so popular.
Colony
Colony has three Manchester spaces spread between The Astley, Jactin House and Piccadilly. All are well stocked with drinks and snacks as well as meeting rooms, but each has its own distinctive character. For instance, The Astley has floor to ceiling windows to ensure the best lighting.
Huckletree
This chain of co-working spaces can be found in London, Dublin and Oslo, and has now added a branch in the Express Building in Manchester. Its facilities include the Imaginarium meeting room and a podcast studio as well as more common features such as desks. The tea and coffee supplies are nearly limitless and live music is regularly played.
Beehive Lofts
Situated in Jersey Street, Beehive Lofts is a collection of well-lit rooms stocked with extra-large desks (adjustable in height, with optional desk lamps and monitors) and comfortable swivel chairs. There is also access to a printer and scanner. It is most popular with the digital and creative industries and has been in place since 2014.
Accelerate Places
Tech companies (both start-ups and the rapidly growing) join digital and creative firms in Princes Street. You can use the free meeting spaces at any hour of day or night as well as having access to limitless printing. It is the perfect base to convert PDF to Excel documents, using tools such as https://pdftables.com/. There is also a café.
The Sharp Project
Thorpe Road hosts 200,000 square feet of space through shipping containers and offices. There are production stages, green screens, backstage facilities and a prop store for companies involved in film, television and digital production. It can be accessed 24 hours a day and has easy entry even for unloading equipment. Catering can be available on site.
