Growing businesses
In times of doom and gloom in the economy, it is refreshing to celebrate the success of the South Devon Innovation Centres. The three Centres, based in Paignton, Torquay and Ivybridge have impressive occupancy rates
- Ivybridge at 87% occupancy - 14 out of the 16 units occupied
- Lymington Road in Torquay 90% - 26 out of 29 units now taken
- Paignton over 75% occupancy out of a total of 12 offices and 26 desk spaces.
Adrian Sheen, Business Innovation Centre Manager, commented; ‘Compared to the rest of the region, with the average of 75% occupancy this, together with the speed of filling the Torquay units within just 6 months of opening, is fantastic result.”
Adrian continued; ”The Innovation Centres’ job is to help businesses in South Devon grow through offering physical office or desk space from as little as £125 pcm. The rent includes gas, electricity, water, telephone rental/broadband and business rates as well as providing business advice, networking, mentoring and specialist training. The Centres not only offer state-of-the-art office space for new businesses, at a competitive rate, but with the ‘easy-in, easy-out’ facility of only giving one month’s notice, it allows flexibility for new businesses, as they do not have to sign up for a long, costly lease.”
There is a wide variety of businesses in the Centres including an engineering consultancy; domestic and industrial cleaning company, design agency, letting agency, accountants, solicitors, recruitment specialists, language centre, relocation company, a new online pharmacy to name but a few.
Dan van Kuyk from Better Clean Services joined the Innovation Centre in 2007. The company’s core business is general office cleaning. Dan says "The support we have had from the Centre is great, regular business advice, networking opportunities and an extremely professional office environment. Every day is different and we just love it".
