Diversity at The Blade

When it comes to choosing office space, there are some buildings or geographical areas which have traditionally focused on one type of business, or one sector. Whether it’s Silicon Fen in Cambridge or the Oxford Science Park, some office spaces have chosen to attract and nurture a particular type of business.  

At The Blade, we’re different. We celebrate diversity across our occupiers and support a wide spread of companies across a range of sectors from law and finance, to med tech and engineering.

Startups

If you’re just starting your business journey, we have a variety of options. From virtual office space to single desks in our Pure Offices suites we can help you during your incubation phase and beyond. The ability to have an address at The Blade can help you to position your business, whether for investment purposes when you come to recruit, or if you simply need space outside a home office. Our onsite team handle all aspects of facilities management; giving you the time and space to grow your business without having to worry about the day-to-day management of buildings and facilities.

Rapid growth businesses

Our adaptable space is perfect for rapid growth businesses. Whether you’re seed funded, bootstrapped or just happen to enjoy rapid growth having hit a rich vein in your sector, we can support you. We’ve become deft at creating and developing stronger, long-term relationships with our occupiers to help them succeed. One key benefit of being able to grow in a single location is the ease of expansion it provides. It may sound obvious, but moving up a floor, or expanding out into multiple suites is far easier and less costly than moving out altogether. From comms and tech to employee transition and even changing your address, the ability to expand, and contract if necessary, within a single site is something a lot of innovative start ups enjoy.

Satellite offices

With office space which is adaptive, there are plenty of options if you’re creating a branch or satellite office away from your main headquarters. Communal space offers the option to network with other businesses, and like-minded professionals – which can be particularly useful if your satellite team is small. With close transport links via the Elizabeth Line (<6 minutes) and the M4 (3.5 miles), travel connections back to a head office are simple.  

Global HQs

The Blade is a truly iconic building and has fast become an instantly recognisable feature in the Reading skyline. With easy access to London in under an hour, and the rest of the UK via road, rail and air links, strong eco-credentials and first class facilities, a handful of our occupiers have relocated out of the capital and into a space that matches their status and allows them to perform and attract the best people.

Being based at The Blade offers a variety of benefits too:

Space for all

There’s a variety of space on offer, from single desk or virtual space with our Pure Office team on our 3^rd and 4^th floors, to our Penthouse suite with incredible views across Reading and the Thames Valley. This allows us to support all types of businesses at every stage of their journey; from early stage start-ups such as Pivotl through to rapid growth tech companies such as Altitude Angel.

Dedicated support

At the heart of our diverse range of occupiers are the Northwood team who offer a central point of contact, aiding connections and helping to support each occupiers’ growth ambitions. Facilities management is taken care of and additional benefits, including regular events such as our successful food bank initiatives, offer a strong cultural framework which you can dip into.

Community spirit

As well as offering dedicated space – as large or as compact as you need – we also have a wide choice of communal space including break out areas and business lounges. These offer great networking opportunities whether you’re welcoming guests or just want a break from your own desk. We frequently find that our occupiers from different organisations also use these spaces to meet with one another, share ideas and build long lasting working relationships – whatever their sector.

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A wider network

Our team also work closely with both Reading Business Improvements Districts (BIDs)as well as The Chamber of Commerce, Reading UK, the Council and various arts and community groups to create a broader network of connections and partnerships that occupiers can access and share.

So, whatever your size and sector, we can offer the right space for you here at The Blade.

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