Throughout the years, the UK British Government has repeatedly stressed that it welcomes international businesses to open branches within the country. With such a warm welcome, no wonder many global firms are considering making the move to expand their business to the UK.
When conducting research on whether a move to the UK is right for your business, you may have found their was a gap in the market for the services that you provide. As such, you want to jump at the opportunity to potentially grow your business as you work to meet the demand for the services that you provide. With UK businesses continuing to grow, due to innovation and advancements in technology, it is an exciting time to be a business in the UK. It is a smart business move to be part of this rise and potentially help your business to reach extraordinary heights.
However, before you make the move, there are just a few things to consider. Here are just a few things to keep in mind when establishing an office in the UK.
Choosing A Location In The UK
For any business, your office and its location does play a factor in how your company is perceived by peers and clients. It also enables you to build your company and create close contacts and establish a reputation in the UK industry. For most businesses, London is the perfect choice as it is the central hub for all industries. For example, if you are a fast-moving, creative agency, choosing an office slap-bang in a vibrant city centre, like London, may be the best option for you. It enables you to be in close contact with others in the industry, as well as vast amount of opportunities available on your doorstep. Also, the excellent transportation service will provide you with great links to travel to other parts of the UK, or the world, so you can build connections and create exceptional content.
On the other hand, the nature of your business might not require you to be located in the thick of the action. This flexibility will allow you to view more practical, cheaper options that are in a less exclusive area. Meaning you will get more for your money in terms of office space, as well as personal living.
There has been a rise in the number of people moving to Cardiff from London. This is because Cardiff is quickly becoming the perfect hub for tech companies looking to create big waves in the industry. It also has an excellent growing media industry, with numerous successful businesses succeeding in the Welsh capital. In addition to this, the cost of living is considerably cheaper than that of living in London. The same is applied to the cost of renting an office space in comparison to the English capital.
Finding The Right Premises
After selecting where it is you wish to set up the UK branch of your company, the next stage is to find the perfect premises. You do not want to find a space that has too much space that you are unable to fill. This means that you would be wasting money paying for unused space. On the other hand, you do not want to go too small so that you and your team are in a confined space.
As such, it is about finding a space that fits in the middle of the two. Spacious enough that everyone is not close together, with room to welcome additional team members, but not too much that there are empty spaces not being used.
Across the UK, there are a vast range of office spaces available, that range from luxury, newly built office blocks, to spaces converted from old barns. Whatever the space you decide to choose, ensure that the location of the premise in an area that is easily accessible for all employees to travel to and work in.
Consider Seeking Support
When looking on how to expand your business to the UK, you may have been overwhelmed with the sheer volume of information available. Since certain laws and regulations can be a minefield, especially if you have no experience with establishing a business presence in the UK. Fortunately, there are numerous firms available who are willing to share their expertise with you and help you navigate your way around the systems in place.
Whether you are in hospitality or construction, you can find firm’s such as Goodman Jones a specialist in construction accounting, who will provide you with an abundance of support. Their expert advice will help you to grow your business in the UK, casting a light on areas of UK employment, such as finances, that you may not have known.
Hiring UK Staff
The UK employment pool is brimming with extraordinary talent, ready to help you take your business to the next level. As this is the first time that you will be hiring UK staff, there are a few things that you need to be aware of. The first being how much you will be paying your staff, as you must pay them at least the minimum wage. You need to check if the candidate you are looking employ has the legal right to work in the UK, you might also have to do some additional employment checks.
Whilst this one does not affect all industries, if the field of work you are in means that employees are in contact with vulnerable people or security, you will need to apply for a DBS check. Also, you will need to acquire employment insurance. You need to obtain employers’ liability insurance as soon as you become an employer in the UK.
Using Digital Tools To Manage Your UK Office Remotely
Due to the pandemic, remote working has become the ideal choice of working for both employers and employees. Although we are not completely out of the clear just yet, remote working is not going anywhere any time soon. For businesses, it is import that they are able to improve the employee experience and optimise this new normal so many have spent a year adapting to.
Communicating with employees, as well as team members keeping in contact with one another during working hours has certainly had its challenges. However, communication tools such as Slack, have been a beloved tool by many businesses to keep in touch with their employees who are remote working. It is an easy to use communication tool that acts as a virtual office, allowing everyone in your company to communicate with one another in real-time with ease. It is a great tool that helps to keep all professional communications in one place. Another bonus is that it helps to avoid the confusion and frustration that comes with keeping track of any work-related communications across the various platforms.
Taking into consideration all of these factors, a move to the UK could be the best move for your business. Aside from marking a new chapter, it could also see your business expand even further afield, due to how many companies across the globe look to the UK to form partnerships and conduct mergers with businesses.
