Journal

In January 2023 we celebrated 12 months of being open for business as Stalybridge’s first professional coworking space.

Industry first opened its doors as a hair and beauty salon back in 2015. During the Covid pandemic, salon owner Tiff saw an opportunity to diversify the business. A conversation with friend and interior designer Helen led to the exciting collaboration that we now know as IndustryCollab.

Despite opening the all-new Industry in one of the most challenging years for businesses, we've gone from strength to strength. We're so proud to have built a substantial coworking customer base and hosted a plethora of events, from wreath making and cookery classes to art workshops and quiz nights. We've also become popular as a venue for private events, including board meetings and strategy days for businesses as well as numerous social events. Running events has certainly been a steep learning curve for us but it's been a great way of bringing the community together and we've enjoyed every minute of it!

When we first set out on this journey, we believed there was space for a business like Industry but the appetite for what we offer has blown the whole team away. We've got so much more to come, both in the salon and the workspace. We're also going to be focusing on what we offer in The Kitchen, working closely with more start up food businesses to bring a new dynamic to the area. If you're interested in finding out more please drop us an email on hello@industrycolla.co.uk. 

Tiff, Helen and the team x

As September approaches, many of us will find ourselves preparing for a whole new routine. Whether that’s the back-to-school routine, or just an end to the summer months and leaning into everything that Autumn brings, it’s time to start afresh.

September is a good time for some reflection and thinking about what you want, or need, to achieve before the end of the year. For some people that’s learning a new skill, for others it is incorporating exercise into their daily routine.

At Industry, we’re all about blending wellbeing with our working lives. That’s why we run events which offer you the chance for self-improvement, such as this Creative Writing Workshop or Inspire & Connect Networking, designed to help you meet likeminded people in your local area. Of course, being a blended space means you can also use the salon for hair or beauty treatments whilst you’re here, allowing you to make the most of your precious time.

Having a professional coworking space in your neighbourhood offers you the chance to change up your commute. You can walk, or cycle to Industry to kickstart your day in a new way. But maybe all you really need for your autumn routine is a fresh workspace, where your community are waiting to connect with you. Industry has been the birthplace for a number of exciting collaborations now and we hope that many more people will come together at Industry to find common ground and opportunities for growth.

We look forward to welcoming you to Industry very soon.

Well, the iced coffees are now firmly on the menu and we’ve had 3 whole days of warm weather so surely that means summer is here now?!

Despite the sunshine it’s been a strange time for many of us, with worries about inflation, fuel costs going through the roof and now rail strikes. Many of you are being adversely affected and we understand; we’ve all felt the pinch lately. One of the benefits of working at Industry is of course our proximity to the local Stalybridge community. We’re an easy walk, jog or cycle for so many of the residents here which means you don’t have to worry about using your car or navigating disrupted trains. Despite rising energy costs our workspace prices have stayed the same so a day at Industry can often be cheaper than a day at home and definitely cheaper than a commute to the office!

A full day of coworking is just £12.50 and new customers are invited to use our space for free with one of our day passes.

Yesterday we had a visit from Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to discuss our plans for Industry and our vision for Stalybridge. It was great to hear how passionate he is about the town and we’re looking forward to some more productive conversations soon.

Lastly, we’ve had a little rejig of our lounge area. We’ve introduced some more tables and chairs to be used as additional workspace or as space to eat your lunch whilst you’re working or in the salon. Our lounge is available to all Industry customers and indeed anyone who wants to use our café facilities! You can get our coffee+cake deal all week for just £4 (and yes, this includes our delicious iced drinks too!)

We look forward to seeing you soon.

It’s been a busy month for us here at Industry. We had a great meeting with Jonathan Reynolds, MP for Stalybridge and Hyde where we discussed our vision for Industry and Stalybridge town. Jonathan really liked our concept and our ideas for community-focused and led events and workshops. It was great to hear his thoughts on the future of work too as they very much aligned with our own!

We also got out to a Centre for Cities event and heard some great speakers talking about levelling up across the UK and hyperlocal regeneration. It seems there is a lot of appetite for reviving our towns and we’re excited to see some of this come to fruition.

We shared this Guardian article over on our LinkedIn earlier this week too. It talks about how remote, flexible and hybrid working create opportunities for economic growth and allows people access to “big city opportunities'“ on their own terms. We loved reading about how other post-Industrial towns are reinventing themselves and it is positive to see a new way of working emerging as mainstream.

Over the coming weeks, we’ve got lots of great stuff coming up at Industry including a cookery masterclass, calligraphy workshop, hypnobirthing and networking.

At Industry, we’re all about community. Supporting our hair & beauty clients, our coworking clients, Stalybridge town and the wider Tameside area through our blended offering is at the heart of who we are. The needs of our communities guide much of what we do and being a social, multi-use hub that has something for everyone is our ultimate goal.

High streets and town centres are changing. Once the hub of the local community, these places lost something when huge shopping malls popped up and again when online retail came to the fore. But there is a renewed vigour to regenerate these areas, not only from indie businesses like ourselves, but from local and national government too.

We ran three successful events in April and have more on offer for next month, which you can read about below. We’ve introduced a new food offering this month and local doula, Hey Mama has also been running regular Hypnobirthing and meditation classes with us. Our salon is as busy as ever and we’ve seen lots of new faces in the coworking space this month.

March Update

When we relaunched Industry as a blended coworking and wellness space, we knew that it was a unique concept so it had a level of risk! But we were incredibly passionate about delivering our goal, which was to create a space that reflected the needs of the community around us, an environment that allowed you to be productive and a place where you could work alongside like-minded people.

The feedback we’ve received from clients so far has shown us that we’ve got it right. People love the laid-back vibe, the buzzy atmosphere and the personal touch that we pride ourselves on. We’re happy to be here and happy to be providing the kind of workspace that you need!

Of course, we still need your support and that’s why we’ve got two new offers for March and April. This month, we’re offering 10% off to all new customers and in April, we’re offering free Fridays on 8th April and 22nd April. So if you need to escape the house whilst the kids are on holiday, or you just fancy trying out our coworking experience, you can book a day* at Industry completely free of charge.

When like-minded women join together to achieve a shared goal, great things can happen. And that's how the journey to a new Industry began. When interior designer Helen Budsworth shared her vision with Industry founder Tiff Mcglashan, alongside creative director for hair Lauren Vickerstaff and creative director for beauty Alyssia Garside, the four women knew they had a winning idea. 

But let’s rewind to the very beginning… 

Industry founder Tiff Mcglashan had set up on her own in 2015 after working in Manchester salons for 20 years. She wanted to bring a slice of the city to the suburbs so Industry was born and it certainly fulfilled the brief. The salon was cool and edgy with huge windows, exposed brickwork and of course the team used only the best quality products on their clientele. 

In March 2020, when the pandemic hit and businesses across the country ground to a halt, Tiff started thinking outside the box. The Stalybridge salon was successful and had been growing for 5 years but as the pandemic rumbled on, she, like many other business owners, wondered what the future held. 

In January 2021, during the third lockdown in England, Tiff rang her friend and client, Helen Budsworth. Last time Helen was in the salon, she had shared a business idea with Tiff. It was an idea that she had been considering for some time and she had wanted to get Tiff’s feedback. In fact, for Helen, it was more than an idea, it was a vision that she just couldn’t shake. 

The vision was for a coworking space in her home borough of Tameside. 

It was for a place that suited people with busy lifestyles, who wanted to be really productive with their precious time. It was for commuters who needed a place to drop-in to or from the office and most of all, it was for local people who wanted a professional, flexible workspace in their neighbourhood.

In the months since that first conversation, the existing salon space was reimagined and redesigned and finally, in October 2021, building work began.

Just two short months later, after a major transformation, the doors to the all-new Industry opened for the first time, with the workspace officially launching in January 2022.

Industry brings a concept of blended work and wellness to the North West that has never been seen before. Despite it being wholly unique, customers are already buying into the concept and reaping the benefits. 

Workspace starts from just £2.50 per hour so book in now by visiting https://www.industrycollab.co.uk/book.