Love your neighbour: meet the Manchester co-working company with community at its heart

Co-working has become a global phenomenon in recent years.

Central Working was one of the early pioneers in the sector and have been trailblazing since.

With a lot of focus on the sector in London, the Manchester co-working scene has fast been gathering momentum – not surprising given how much Manchester has grown in recent years.

Considering we’re a city known for ingenuity, creativity and generally “doing things differently” it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that co-working spaces are on the rise.

There’s one operator that stands out from the rest – and that’s Central Working.

The magic ingredient? Community.

Ahead of the curve when it comes to identifying the growing demand for co-working spaces, they’ve been in Manchester for five years now.

They opened their first unit in 2014 in Deansgate and sourced coffee favourites Grindsmith as their café partner, before relocating to bigger premises on Spring Gardens at the tail end of 2018 in partnership with Aviva.

More than just an office, it’s Central Working’s focus on meaningful connections and workplace flexibility that sets them apart from their competitors.

One of the city’s and the UK original co-working spaces, the team specialises in creating welcoming environments that make you feel at home and help you build connections with other members in the community, across all its 11 locations and over 3,500 active members.

It’s this core value that makes Central Working so attractive to businesses looking for a space to bond and network with like-minded creatives.

After all, the alternative – a coffee shop or your kitchen counter – can be a lonely place.

Central Working is all about encouraging a collaborative mindset by engaging and understanding each and every member. With qualifying connections for their members at the businesses core, it enables a nurturing environment for any fast growth business.

They even offer a money back guarantee – so if you don’t receive a meaningful connection within your first thirty days you don’t have to pay.

“We wanted to create a place that you could come to where it wasn’t just through serendipity that you met the right connections but it was through creating something really special, so our team and the other members, more importantly, would be there to support you,” says founder James Layfield.

There’s also a big focus on establishing meaningful human connections and creating an atmosphere that’s supportive of your needs.

“People walk around these days looking at their phones, on instant messenger, using things like Facebook and whilst they’re important tools we don’t believe that’s where the magic happens. The magic happens in a room with two people face to face,” James tells us.

“Love isn’t a word you hear often in business but to us it’s important. If you’re spending more time with us that you spend with your own family isn’t it important that you feel something when you come into your space each day and when you come into Central Working?

“I promise you that you will feel that and you’ll see it from our team and, as a consequence, you’ll feel it from the other members.”

The office space itself is stunning and whilst it feels professional, there’s nothing corporate about it.

Incorporating design elements that pay homage to Manchester’s industrial history – it is the definition of chic.

The smart entrance has an impressive feel to it: with high ceilings, calming charcoal-grey walls and a giant tv screen streaming out the latest current affairs news.

The offices themselves are set over three floors and decorated in a warm colour scheme of burnt orange, Gen Z yellow and rusty red which runs throughout and reflects the industrial brickwork that makes up so much of Manchester’s industrial landscape.

They’re dog-friendly too, so if you’ve got a special pooch (or pooches) in your life you don’t need to worry about finding a dog sitter or leaving them at home.

With three types of membership package on offer, everything is designed to be as flexible for you as possible. So, whether you’re looking for a drop in hot-desk situation, a dedicated desk, or a private office – they’ve got you covered.

Private offices can accommodate anyone from 4 to 50 people, whilst the numerous breakout spaces and meeting rooms mean that no matter your needs you won’t be left wanting here.

Pricing is all-inclusive which is another thing that sets them apart. They are transparent in their per person per month charge which makes it simple for any fast-growing business to budget for. And, with the Central Working team taking care of all the little things so that you can focus on what’s important: growing your business.

Covering everything from coffee to toner, they have even gone the extra mile and established relationships with neighbouring businesses to help you make the most of your leisure time too.

Fed up of soulless serviced offices, or looking to move into a new space? Then check out Central Working for a free trial.

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