Posted on Tuesday 28th March 2023
Philip White (left) with Andy Pressdee from Press Creative
A business enterprise centre which opened in Stafford town centre last summer is already home to 15 companies across a range of sectors.
Shire Hall Business Centre is located to the rear of the historic building in the area which once housed the town’s library. It is now a thriving enterprise hub – offering flexible tenancies in modern, bright, office space in a central location.
And in addition to office provision, Shire Hall has a mailbox service, enabling small businesses still located at home to have a separate company address which can help to present a professional look. There is also the opportunity to hire out hot desking and meeting space to those operating at different locations.
Like the county council’s other enterprise centres, the Shire Hall offers reception facilities, meeting areas, networking opportunities and business advice and support. It opened last July following an extensive £2million fit out, blending the latest office facilities with heritage building features.
Andy Pressdee’s company Press Creative recently moved to a unit at Shire Hall. Press Creative supports small businesses in developing marketing messaging and includes social media, website content and graphic design.
This is far more suited for the business than our previous location. I love it – it’s light and a great place to bring clients. It’s a professional and creative environment here. I’m working with other businesses here which is beneficial to all of us. It’s exciting to be part of a new venture in the town centre and this coincides with the growth and development of our company.”
Peter Haddock runs his company Content With Media from Shire Hall and was one of the first businesses to locate there.
His businesses focuses on the construction and plant sectors and creates media content from videos to podcasts and written articles. A PR professional and journalist, Peter started his business in 2019. Moving to Shire Hall from home means the business can expand and take on employees and apprentices.
When we saw the Shire Hall, we knew we had found our new home. It’s a fantastic modern workspace in an amazing heritage building, right in the town centre that our staff can easily access. This is what Stafford needed and I was keen to support it.
Having an office premises gives clients a different perspective. We also have access to meeting rooms and breakout spaces. There are also great networking opportunities with the other businesses here, and the Shire Hall team is fantastic.”
Shire Hall is also the base for Stafford Chamber of Commerce, another of the building’s first tenants.
Declan Riddell, Stafford Chamber of Commerce manager, said:
The Shire Hall Business Centre is a great venue for us. It gives businesses a professional look when bringing in clients and we’re keen to showcase it to people whenever we have meetings here. Being right at the heart of the town is a real benefit and is good for the continued regeneration of Stafford.”
Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills Philip White said:
Visiting the businesses here and finding out the difference the Shire Hall has made to them, their operations and their future expansion plans has made it all worthwhile. This is exactly the outcome we wanted during initial planning stages.
What stands out is businesses having modern, centrally located office space, giving them a professional outlook day-to-day and when they bring in clients. The opportunity to network with other like-minded businesses is a real bonus too.
While fifteen businesses have snapped up units, there are a few more remaining, so I’d urge people to get in touch to find out more. Additional services for businesses located at home or elsewhere such as the mailbox and hotdesking, really need to be explored.
Having a thriving business hub in the heart of Stafford is important for the town and will play a significant part in its wider regeneration.”
Any businesses wanting to find out more about unit costs and availability, or that wants to book a viewing at any time, should contact Samantha Neal, centre administrator, at samantha.neal@staffordshire.gov.uk
This Shire Hall Business Centre forms part of the wider regeneration of the Stafford town centre. It will also complement plans to repurpose and redevelop land occupied by vacant buildings – including the former magistrates court and county council’s own Wedgwood Building – off Eastgate Street.