YP business profile: Charlie Lancaster, Leeds area manager, Regus

Having stood as Leeds’s tallest building for decades (Bridgewater Place pipped it in 2005) it has been host to a large variety of businesses over the years and, as of last month, it is now home to a global workspace provider which can connect its clients to a network spanning more than a hundred countries.

Regus has taken on the upper-most floors of the iconic Leeds building and is looking to provide a platform for start-ups from around the region.

At the helm is Charlie Lancaster, area manager for Leeds and overseeing Regus’s latest foray into Leeds.

It already has two bases in the city centre and two in office parks on its fringes but this latest move is one Mr Lancaster says underscores the firm’s faith in the ability of Leeds to grow itself.

“My role is to come as the area manager for the Leeds area specifically to grow the brand,” he says.

“This is our newest centre and we are looking to continue to grow not only the Regus brand but the space we have taken over.

“We are looking at all of the major cities and have new centres opening in Manchester and Newcastle but Leeds is a place we wanted to look at.”

Having an extensive background in property, both residential and commercial, as well as having run his own property company, Mr Lancaster – who has worked in Yorkshire his entire life – said the opportunity to work for Regus was too good to turn down.

“I came in had the conversation with my director and it just seemed to fit perfectly,” he said.

“As soon as I came in I was tasked with this place and the experience of having and launching my own business very much coupled with this. The marketing and launch we had was great.”

Regus can cater for businesses of all sizes but he said this latest space in Pinnacle had a very specific remit.

“This centre specifically we have celluarised to look at specifically smaller businesses and start-ups. We have more open-plan space in terms of co-working and want to create a community feel with it.

“But certainly with the smaller business we can offer two-man offices that come in at an affordable level.

“It gives people the chance to come in and exist in an LS1 postcode with all the facilities that Regus has to offer.”

As a global operator Regus offers its clients access to all of its sites across 120 countries, something Mr Lancaster said is proving increasingly popular in an ever more networking world.

“Taking office space with us gives you access to the whole network,” he said.

“We class ourselves as a global workspace provider.

“We have a chap here who is a one-man band in here but works for an American company and travels all around the country. He was in London this week and using our offices down there.

“Businesses, no matter how young or small, can grow within us.

“We can move you to another centre, and that is worldwide. But if you like your position in Pinnacle we can move you from a two-man to a four-man to a 12-man office.

“You can grow with us and we are just there to offer the same service, no matter what size you are.

“In terms of its position it is just unique, between the retail and the business district. Plus there is the viewpoint.

“Being at the top of the building means we have that wow factor. It is impressive when you bring clients.

“And it is a really nice working environment, with all of the glass partition walls, we have the benefit of lots of natural light.

“And there are the nice views to distract you through the window,” he joked.

“We cater for all, we have such a diverse range of business there is nothing we do not fit for. As well as the office and co-working space we have flexible spaces, places where people can work across many centres.

“In terms of a market place for flexible space it is just growing and growing. That is why Regus is wanting to invest in continuing opening centres.”

In terms of his viewpoint on Leeds, Mr Lancaster is nothing less than extremely enthused.

“It is a real business hub for the North,” he said.

“I think as businesses continue to move here and then grow within the city and the fact is that we are flexible we can offer that space. We can change things in terms of bringing walls down.

“It is a well-established building and there has been a lot of investment put into it.

“With the amount of time people are spending at work these days things like this are important.”

Having had the experience of running his own business, Mr Lancaster said he was truly excited about the prospect of seeing young businesses grow.

He said: “I get a real joy from helping businesses. I get really excited about new start-ups coming in. I have been there and done that and can relate to them.

“We are there to assist and help them in terms of the networking.

“We put the focus on them rather than us. It is about helping them and growing their business. That is what really attracted me into this marketplace.

“We call them communities. We want people to network. That is why we have that open plan business lounge and co-working area. We have monthly networking events to bring people together.”

The space Regus has in Pinnacle has space for more than 150 work stations and clients are already in the process of moving in.

Mr Lancaster added that he was still looking for more premises and to expand within Leeds.