Originally starting out with a focus on co-working, Desk Space has since expanded to multiple offices across two locations in Sheffield and now specialises in offering both private office spaces and coworking options. We spoke to its co-founders, Amy Milchard and Neil Roberts, to find out more about their flexible options and what sets them apart as landlords…
Hi guys. Can you start by telling me a little bit about Desk Space?
Neil: Desk Space was born out of a need to optimise the space we had available. In 2018, we leased the entire 4-story Hope Works building, which includes four private offices. My main business, Just Telecom, was growing, but we had more space than we needed. To make the most of it, we transformed one floor into a coworking office and launched the getdesk.space domain—thus, Desk Space was created.
Amy: Desk Space started as a little co working side hobby project to share a bit upstairs space in one of the offices that we had. In the beginning, there were three of us and, mostly over visits to the pub, we all thought it would be a good idea to make it official and make it a proper business.
We then expanded into more rooms in the same building on Mowbray Street, with the plan to attract more tech-led businesses. We also took on another building on West Bar, which was a set of old cottages with work units. A completely different vibe from Mowbray Street, but we loved it and made it into a mixture of co-working and office space. This was all pre-COVID, so it sounded quite innovative and unique at the time.
Was there a lot of interest in co-working spaces at that time?
N: Interest in coworking spaces has grown significantly since then, but at the time, we quickly filled our available space. This success led us to expand locally, where we discovered the charm of our West Bar location. Unlike the modern Hope Works building, West Bar is a pre-Victorian gem, with its own unique character. Renovating the Grade II listed building to meet modern commercial standards was a labour of love. If the walls could talk, they’d surely have some fascinating stories to tell.
A: We brought it up to a level where it would be attractive, but, technically, we had no one in there when we got into lockdown. We did keep everybody who was in Hope Works; I think partly because we didn’t charge them any rent. Most of those are still with us now, so it obviously worked.
Were you worried when the lockdowns started?
N: Absolutely. West Bar had just opened in December 2019, and within a few months, we were forced to close due to the lockdowns. However, we found a small lifeline during this period by collaborating with Sheffield University to provide office space for a limited number of PhD students.
A: It was looking like it could take a different direction at that point. We were going to try and venture out a little bit more into the technology side of it. But things changed and it was hard in the sense that we didn’t know when it was going to stop and if you’ve got people on rolling contracts, you’re not making any money when no one’s using the space.
I think we all knew it was still going to be really desirable at the end of it and we knew that the world of work was changing so actually the further lockdown went on, the more confident we were that actually that is going to be a better solution, and we had it ready and waiting.
Did lockdown actually help the progress of the business?
N: Lockdown certainly disrupted our coworking operations. The shift to remote work became the norm, and many businesses embraced working from home. As a result, when restrictions eased, we found that many people chose to continue working from home. This led us to pivot our strategy by focusing more on private office spaces while still offering coworking options.
A: We have a lot of individuals who are actually employed and work remotely because employers realised that if you want the best talent, you’re not restricted to your own locality anymore. That doesn’t necessarily mean people are happy to be stuck at home working all the time; people want that differentiation. People miss their colleagues and the work environment, so if you can replicate that, it definitely helps.
What makes it different from other co-working spaces?
A: We just keep it simple. It’s low commitment. It’s very easy on the budget as well as easy on the arrangements. You can drop in and drop out, use it as much as you want, but we keep it dedicated and we don’t do hot desking so people can leave their things and make it really feel like their own space and get to know everyone else.
We don’t try and pretend we’re going to have a prosecco bar. We don’t try and do too much because we’re in Kelham Island and that’s our biggest plus. We also have a car park at Mowbray Street, which is a big benefit in Kelham Island”.
N: Our offering stands out because it’s both cost-effective and transparent, with no hidden charges. We provide flexible terms, with coworking spaces available on a 30-day rolling basis. We aim to be the place where businesses can start and grow.
For example, one of our clients has expanded over the past four years, moving from a small to a medium to a large office as their team has grown. Just by being a community, and with online chat available every day, we’ve seen collabs between the businesses here, research projects develop, social time become a regular Friday lunch event, as well as people getting involved with KINCA events and most recently Sheffield Business Runners!
What are your plans for the future of Desk Space?
A: We might consider another venue in the future. We did think about going slightly outside of Sheffield at one point, but I think if we do it now, we’d be more interested in doing something in Sheffield, and maybe slightly more towards the city centre, just to get more of a presence there. Again, it would be something small. We’re not going to try and compete with the bigger spaces because it’s not really what we’re about.
N: We’ve already expanded to multiple offices across two locations. While the income from coworking can be higher when at full capacity, the increase in competition has made it challenging to maintain that level. As a result, we’ve already transitioned a significant portion of our space back to private offices and this is the future we’ve set for the business.
Desk Space’s standard rate is £125 per month for a dedicated desk, which is exclusively yours on a 30-day rolling term. This price includes all bills, secure 24/7 access, fast internet, and weekly cleaning. Additionally, at their Hope Works location, they offer parking—a rare commodity in Kelham Island. Head to getdesk.space to find out more.
