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Online businesses became popular during the country ’ s various Covid-19 lockdowns , and now that the retail world has reopened its doors many of these small business owners are considering opening their own physical stores .
Small Business Prices set out to explore the country ’ s cheapest cities to open a physical shop , based on metrics such as daily high street footfall , commercial space rental costs , and average hourly rates of contractors like plumbers and electricians .
Finding a premises to operate out of is relatively affordable compared to other
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towns and cities in the ranking , with the average price of renting a commercial space in Swindon being £ 14,120 per month .
Hiring builders , electricians , painterdecorators , and plumbers to get the shop in working order is also more affordable in Swindon than anywhere else the study analysed , with each of these professionals charging the lowest hourly rate for their services .
Swindon is also revealed as the best location to hire local contractors to help set up and create your physical shop , costing an average of £ 115 an hour to have the support
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of a builder , electrician , painter , plumber and handyman .
London is the most expensive city to have the support of tradespeople , costing an average of £ 209 per hour , with plumbers valuing their work the most at an average of £ 50 an hour .
Alongside these findings , the research revealed that Stoke-on-Trent has the lowest commercial space rental costs , averaging £ 6,510 per month and Manchester is the cheapest city to buy a commercial space , with the average cost being £ 50,000 .
Ian Wright , Founder of Small Business
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Prices , said , “ Whilst the research shows that there are certain UK cities that are cheaper to open a brick-and-mortar shop in than others , there are many factors that SMEs should consider before deciding on a location . One of the main things is meeting demand and ensuring you are in the right location to serve your ideal customer . If this can go hand in hand with a cheap location , SMEs will find they will easily be able to maximise their financial capital .”
For more info : www . smallbusinessprices . co . uk
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Vacant for nearly 20 years and in a state of disrepair , the mansion was purchased in 2022 by local couple Carey and Simon Tesler . After six months of careful restoration and refurbishment , the building is now set for a busy 2023 as a venue for weddings , private functions , corporate meetings , events and exhibitions .
The venture is new ground for Carey and Simon who both come from a background in magazine publishing . In 1980 , while still an undergraduate at Oxford University , Carey launched BLITZ magazine , one of the original style magazines of the 1980s . She was joined soon afterwards by fellow Oxford undergraduate Simon .
The pair went on to diversify into business publishing and events , with the launch of a series of newsletters and directories for the magazine publishing industry . Simon was also the Founder of global advertising and marketing consultancy Adbrands . net .
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Simon said , “ Pretty much everyone who lives in or around Trowbridge knows Parade House . It was built in around 1720 for the wool merchant Robert Houlton and housed a succession of wealthy tradespeople throughout the 18th and 19th centuries . It ’ s best known locally as the former headquarters of the Ushers brewery .”
Since the departure of Ushers in 2000 , Parade House has had a chequered history . A series of different owners tried to utilise the building as commercial offices but with little success . For a while it was even Trowbridge ’ s temporary police station .
Carey added , “ Our brilliant builders have been working nonstop to bring the house back to life . The fine rooms on the ground floor and first floor were ready to receive their first visitors in June 2022 and we ’ ve held a number of different events since then , whilst a client has booked a regular monthly business meeting and client lunch
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in our fine rooms on the ground floor .
“ The reaction has been amazing . For our last open day , we had more than 400 visitors in the space of four hours . Everyone has been so fantastically supportive and positive about all the changes we ’ ve made .”
Among the latest exciting developments at Parade House are the launch of Ushers ’ Bar and The Screening Room , a luxurious 24-seat cinema , in the vaults of this historic house . The Screening Room will offer weekly showings of the very best in classic , cult and arthouse movies with a broad range of films from the US , UK and World
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Cinema . The cinema and bar are also available to hire for corporate events .
Sunday 26th February will see the launch of the Parade House Wedding Open Day . Newly engaged couples are invited to tour the rooms of Parade House dressed for a real wedding , discuss the details of their Big Day with the expert inhouse wedding planners , and meet a selection of hand-picked suppliers including photographers , florists , calligraphers , caterers , cakemakers and DJs . Admission is free but reservations are required at click . paradehousetrowbridge . co . uk / weddings
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“ Everyone has been so fantastically supportive of the changes we ' ve made ”
For more info : paradehousetrowbridge . co . uk
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