Working from home getting you down? A new coworking space in Peterborough could be just the place to get you out and help you get on.
If lockdown has meant you’re having to work from your dining table and you’ve just about had enough of your own company, or if recent months have sparked your entrepreneurial spirit and you’re starting out on a budget – you might be looking for some space to work in that’s really inspiring.
New coworking space DESKGO in Hampton was launched by BBC The Apprentice finalist Khadija Kalifa just prior to lockdown. It’s now open again and proving the ideal space to allow local entrepreneurs to flourish with their new ideas and for individuals to get focused.
DESKGO has been designed for local business owners, homeworkers and freelancers to save money by using shared office space or to hold small meetings. The work areas are well spaced and with extra cleaning and sanitising in place they’ve made sure it’s an environment where you can feel like you’re at the office but staying safe.
The space offers a range of coworking options including coworking desks and benches, permanent resident desks, meeting room hire and private office hire. It’s a cost effective way of working away from home as you can book online by the hour, day or month.
DESKGO also offers some other perks including a great little coffee and tea bar area.
Of course extra safety measures have been brought in to make sure it’s a safe space to work from and Office Manager, Joanne Norman, says DESKGO has done everything necessary.
“On an ongoing basis we have put in place a stringent cleaning regime in all common areas. Hand sanitiser stations are available at entrances, reception and communal parts of our building. We have implemented an improved cleaning specification within high-traffic and high-risk areas, including all communal areas and the kitchen area. Shared spaces will have antibacterial wipes and cleaning materials available for you to use.”
Let’s face it, it’s not always easy to stay on track at home with one eye on the household chores and distractions (like the fridge… and the biscuit tin) and sometimes it just doesn’t put you in the right headspace. If you want to knuckle down sometimes you might feel you need to ‘go’ to work.
Apprentice star aNd entrepreneur Khadija Kalifa believes spaces such as this are vital – “My business grew here in Peterborough. Coworking space to me is really important. I’ve been a one man band and it can get really lonely.
“If you are thinking about starting your own business or like me, you have small children and you can’t go back to your job, just to get into an office environment one to two days a week gives you that drive, that push – you need that structure. Sometimes being an entrepreneur you only have yourself to be accountable to so you can often put things off, but when you come into an office you need to get as much done as you can while you’re here, so I’m all for it.”
Another niggle which may have driven you crazy during lockdown might have been poor internet connection so if you’re fed up restarting Zoom calls, heading over to DESKGO has another perk with high speed Wi-Fi.
Sometimes though, nothing can replace physical meetings with clients and other business contacts so they’ve reduced the capacity of their meeting rooms so that you can keep socially distanced and the rooms are cleaned thoroughly between each meeting.
Director George Georgiou said – “Our vision was to create a coworking space that the local community can be proud of and I am happy to say we have achieved this with DESKGO. We have easy links to major roads, ample parking for members, locally sourced furniture and stylish décor.
“We look forward to providing the area of Hampton with a creative and collaborative co-working environment.”
For more information on DESKGO and to book a tour visit www.deskgo.com.