How QHubs will benefit you as a user or tenant business

Are you a business owner considering using a remote working space and want to learn more about the new QHubs Quality Standard? If your answer is yes, you’re in the right place!

In this blog we explain the aim of the Quality Standard, how it came about and how it will benefit your business going forward if you decide utilise a remote working space. To read an extended version of this piece, check out our recent feature on www.businesspost.ie

Thanks to the impact of Covid-19 on businesses globally, remote and hybrid working models are here to stay. The demand for the services of remote working hubs over the last 19 months was unprecedented and continues to grow currently. As this demand increased, so did the need for a way to ensure hubs could meet the needs and criteria of its users.

Enter Qhubs….

QHubs is a new Quality Standard designed to raise the overall quality, environmental and innovation performance of the entire remote working sector. Coming into play this year, the government backed Standard funded by Enterprise Ireland is a global first and will apply to the 350+, enterprise, co-working and remote working locations operating nationwide. One of the main benefits of QHubs will be to help businesses find the right hub location for their operations and employees.

So, what does the Standard look like, and how exactly will it benefit your business?

One of the key elements of the Standard is the introduction of a Hub Classification. This means that each hub will be ranked based on their strategic purpose, size, capacity and occupancy as well as services and facilities available. This ranges from Level 1, which would be a local community hub that provides good quality and affordable workspaces, shared services and networking opportunities, to Level 4, which is a hub that offers more regional, national and international collaborations, shared learning and peer to peer opportunities, and market access for client companies that want to scale globally.

For businesses looking to set up in a hub or co-working space, this classification status will be a key factor in their decision process and will ideally make finding the right hub for them a much more streamlined and straightforward task.

Training and Development Opportunities are being made available to all hubs as part of the Quality Standard rollout across the Sector. This means each hub will have access to a range of services and supports including networking, mentoring, training and learning programmes, independent advice and guidance, thought leadership and insights, best in class research, funding information and a host of Continuous Professional Development opportunities.

For businesses, knowing there are programmes like this in place will significantly impact their decision when choosing a location. It will also reassure client companies that their new potential workspace will continue to be informed on emerging trends and have the opportunity to engage in global best practice.

Another attractive component of the Standard’s framework from a business perspective, is the range of International Collaboration opportunities offered. This will allow locations to benefit from a host of international alliances and connections with leading European and international organisations and special-interest programmes and projects.

This will also include access to a host of best-in-class global practices via strategically aligned organisations and will be an important consideration for businesses looking to work in an enterprise centre, particularly if they are a multinational or looking to expand into international markets.

At the end of each year, all client companies in each hub will be able to access an Annual Progress Update on their workspace. This will include a benchmark analysis of the hubs progress in specific areas such as Quality, Environmental and Innovation performance, Community and Network, Customer Experience, Digitisation and Job Creation.

This benchmark system will give companies located in a remote working space the opportunity to assess whether their current location is ticking all their boxes and meeting their standards across each area. It will also offer an opportunity for companies looking to work or partner with a local hub or enterprise centre an indication of how good a fit that particular hub is for their specific business requirements.

Through business development, innovation and collaboration, enterprise centres and co working spaces are a catalyst for creating jobs, investment opportunities and sustained economic growth for the local and wider economy.

The QHubs Quality Standard will introduce a strong competitive advantage to regions across Ireland and will facilitate the hub network to consistently produce the best results possible for their client companies – whether they are start-ups, SMEs, multinationals or remote workers from across the public and private sectors. This will, in turn, work to help deliver sustainable regional development and a jobs-led recovery for the entire Irish economy.

For more information follow CEAI on Twitter @CEAIreland and LinkedIn Community Enterprise Association Ireland