Bringing life back into business
We chat with Emma Kennedy, Founder and CEO of luxury co-working space Grafter about establishing Ireland’s first work-lifestyle brand.
Exclusive Grafter Discount for LIBS
Whether you require a desk for an office for a day, a desk for a week or a meeting room space, Grafter have you covered. All members in the London Irish Business Society can enjoy preferential rates at Grafter. Please quote code LIBS for 10% discount on Grafter products (meeting rooms, day passes & day offices etc).
Please contact alison@grafteroffices.com for more information.
Tell us about you career to date?
In 2010, I handed in my dissertation and moved to London. I was keen to move as I wanted to be somewhere completely different. I started working as a Manager in Primark, Oxford Street. This was an excellent introduction into a fast-paced environment with people who work incredibly hard. The store (at the time) had over 1,500 employees and was operational 24/7, 365 days a year. Primark helped me broaden my skillset as they’ve a great training program, particularly for those looking for management roles.
Finding my way in London
From there, I will admit that it took me years to figure out what I wanted to do. There were points of desperation where I found myself in two jobs, working 7 days a week. However, this work did pay off and in 2014, I found myself in a completely different world, working for a leading real estate agent, Marsh & Parsons, in Notting Hill. It was my first introduction to residential property, and I loved it. I was able to run a business within a business, and this ignited an entrepreneurial mindset. I was able to build my own client base, show luxury residential properties and receive a salary that was based solely on work ethic.
During this time, I was quite active with the London Irish Business Society who connected me with a range of business owners and entrepreneurs. I was able to tap into their network, and this helped me create new opportunities.
A return to Dublin
In 2014, Iconic Offices approached me with a sales role and the option to move home to Dublin. At the time, the Irish market was quite small. There were 2 main providers — Glandore and Regus. Iconic Offices was able to bring a new dynamic to the market — an option that attracted both professional services and tech companies. This was largely due to their high-end design and fit outs.
In 2016, I had the opportunity to work for a global workspace provider, Servcorp in Sydney, Australia. This gave me a more in-depth knowledge of a diverse range of flex workspace products such as co-working and virtual memberships. Ultimately, both roles gave me the knowledge and courage to want to set up a business of my own.
How saturated is the flexible workspace market in Dublin?
To date, comparatively-speaking, the flexible workspace market in Dublin remains small, but year on year, we have seen a significant increase in demand. There is currently 1,582,000 sq. feet of flexible office space in Dublin. It’s predicted that we will see a 9% growth in 2022. In Dublin 2, we should see a 12% growth. We’ve also seen an increase in new operators entering the market; Huckletree, WeWork, Spaces, IPUT and of course Grafter. While tenants enjoy short-term flexibility, there has been an increase in demand for longer terms (24–36 month agreements). We’ve also seen an increase the demand from companies with 50+ employees.
Can you tell me more about the work-life concept and what that would mean for your members?
People were demanding flexibility and a work-life balance before the pandemic. The last two years has accelerated this mindset for both employers and employees.
How someone wants to work will vary between companies, departments, and individuals. We see parents wanting to work from home on certain days so they can collect their children. Managers need a quiet space to get their admin done, while teams want to get back together to work on a project. How people work and connect changes daily.
There are challenges with flexible working; Zoom fatigue, managers find it hard to connect with their team and employers have hiring issues.
I wanted to create a space where people could connect in a meaningful way. This could be inside or outside the office. So, we created a business model where members come together in a boardroom, in an office, on the golf course, in a restaurant or even the cinema. They pick what works for them. They have the option.
Some say, the ‘office is dead’. Do agree and what do you think the future of workspace looks like?
The office is not dead, but how we use workspaces has changed.
Reports show that SME and large corporations are still acquiring the same amount of space, but how they fit them out is different. Our work-style behaviours are demanding more breakout spaces. This includes phone booths, lounge areas and informal meeting spaces. People come to the office to connect, but we also need quiet areas to do ‘deep work’. This might be achieved in the office if there is an allocated space or (as some people found it) at home.
Have you seen companies start to consider more flexible working options for their employees over traditional leases? If so, does this pose an opportunity for you?
Traditional leases require businesses to sign up to a minimum term of 5–10 years. Some companies do not know where they will be in 12 months’ time, so this may be a risk to their business. For those that trade well, they may find their team outgrow the office space. On the flipside, if business was not going well, they may face financial strain.
Flexible workspace providers offer office solutions on short term basis (generally 3 months + for private office spaces and 1 day + for single desk memberships).
In addition to the lease term predicament, flexible workspace providers offer a full-fitted and customizable private office spaces. This means that companies do not have to spend time and money fitting out an office space. They can walk into a space that is ready to go. It also means that they don’t need to worry about items like utility bills, reception facilities, meeting room spaces etc. It’s already in place and wrapped up in one monthly fee.
This business model created an opportunity for the flexible workspace market, which has been operating across many different countries for over 30 + years.
It has been interesting to see more industries enter the flexible workspace model. Back in 2014, we found small SME’S in the professional services industry using serviced offices. However, we have since seen a growth in demand from tech, financial services, pharma and more.
What do you think is the biggest opportunity for Grafter in 2022?
We are Ireland’s first work-life style brand. We have a combined one hundred years of experience within the hospitality, flexible workspace, and property market. This is our unique selling point and I look forward to bringing this all under one roof so our members can enjoy a diverse range of benefits and services.
What do you feel grafter can offer those other offices cannot?
Options! The last 24 months has made us all acutely aware that our work is in essence something we do, not necessarily somewhere we go. We know that the office will be more of a collaborative space for people moving forward. With this in mind, we feel that the office will now go hand in hand with the socialization of our working lives and this, at its core, is what Grafter is about. We want our clients to be as comfortable in their office space whilst also having as much available to them as possible.
Our members can enjoy a superior quality office space, high-end design, and services within their Grafter building. They can also tap into 65 + hospitality venues across Ireland — present their ideas in the Stella Cinema, play golf in Glasson Lakehouse, meet their clients for lunch in Angelina’s restaurant, have team drinks in The Grayson. The Grafter team manage all these bookings for our members, and they also receive preferential rates.
What is next for Grafter?
This is a great question. The sky is the limit.
We are on the hunt for new locations in Dublin and overseas. I cannot confirm anything just yet, but the next few weeks will be extremely exciting for us. Watch this space!
To connect with Emma, you can reach here on LinkedIn here.
Exclusive Grafter Discount for LIBS
Whether you require a desk for an office for a day, a desk for a week or a meeting room space, Grafter have you covered. All members in the London Irish Business Society can enjoy preferential rates at Grafter. Please quote code LIBS for 10% discount on Grafter products (meeting rooms, day passes & day offices etc).
Please contact alison@grafteroffices.com for more information.
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