Business Support Services

Stevenage offers a comprehensive range of support to businesses including premises and site identification, development and planning advice and business information advice and support.

Premises
Stevenage has a good range of vacant office, industrial and warehouse floorspace.

The premises in Stevenage include prestigious headquarters offices, high tech business space, and modern industrial and warehouse units. Rents in the town are amongst the lowest in the South East.

Arlington Site Junction 7 A1 (M) Arlington Business Park

Significant progress has been made towards regenerating Stevenage’s main employment area around Gunnels Wood Road in recent months. Demolition has now started on the southern part of the former British Aerospace complex which is owned by Arlington complex which is owned by Arlington Securities. The 10 hectare site is in a prominent position at Stevenage’s southern gateway at the junction of Broadhall Way and Gunnels Wood Road. Outline planning consent was granted in October 2002 for a business park consisting of offices (15,000 sq m) and industrial units (16,000 sq m). 10% of the business floorspace in the development will be accommodation that is suitable for small business. In addition, a small foodstore, restaurant and day nursey will be provided as part of the business park to complement the business uses.

Commercial Property
Stevenage Borough Council has access to a Commercial Property Database, detailing all available commercial floorspace and development opportunities in the town. In addition a number of local and national property agents market property in Stevenage.

There is a wide range of accommodation for small and medium companies available within the town. For small and start up businesses there is flexible office and manufacturing space at Chells (the Business and Technology Centre) and Enterprise Village owned by Stevenage Borough Council.

The Centre offers monthly accommodation rentals and daily hire of conference facilities in a modern well equipped environment at reasonable rates.These premises also have communal services available for word-processing, photocopying, facsimile transmission, book-keeping and conference rooms.

Offering in-house business development and advice services, the Business and Technology Centre has a high success rate in nurturing the growth of new businesses, many of which tend to move on as they expand.

Business Advice
At the Business & Technology Centre in Bessemer Road small firms can access comprehensive business support services under one roof, including:

• premises
• advice
• training

Also at the centre you can find:

• Stevenage Business Initiative
• Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Northern Branch)

Stevenage Business Initiative is the enterprise agency for Northern Hertfordshire, provides business advice and guidance particularly for start up and new small businesses. SBI's services include;

• Practical advice and guidance to those individuals planning to set up in business.
• Follow up aftercare' service individually tailored to the needs of the new businesses.
• Consultation with financial, marketing and other business advisors to assist in the business improvement and growth of established companies.

SBI also manage the premises at the Business and Technology Centre and Chells Enterprise Village.

Further business support is provided by Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Northern Branch) who organise the following:

• Monthly Breakfast Club
• Lunchtime meetings
• Company visits
• Workshops and training
• Social activities
• Sponsorship and promotional opportunities