At AW, we’re expecting 2021 to be a great year for business. Well, it certainly can’t be worse than 2020 even after a slow reopening! As businesses grow, they may evolve from small, one-man teams to businesses with multiple arms and larger teams. This transition makes a co-working space like ours a great and flexible place to set up.
A great example of this growth is Sam Keisner, founder of Number Nomads. Number Nomads is a bespoke business advisory company, helping businesses source finance, grow and achieve their goals. Sam has been at AW since its opening and has grown with us in what can only be described as a turbulent year. We managed to catch up with him for a debrief on him and his company.
Business advisory in a global pandemic.You must have your work cut out for you?
It’s been an interesting year for pretty much every business, making quality financial advice all the more important. Businesses still have goals and ambitious plans that they have hoped to achieve 2020 and it is our job to assist them in any way we can for 2021. It’s not, however, all been doom and gloom for businesses in 2020. One thing that we have found over the year is companies offering health technology and remote working have seen exciting growth and enthusiastic interest from investors. I find it interesting to see how this year has paved the way for entirely new markets.
You’ve been with us a while. Talk us through your time at AW.
The best way to characterise my time at AW is by comparing it to an on and off relationship! But, I’m happy to say we’re now happily married! I joined AW at its opening back in 2019 and stayed for 18 months. However, by 2020, I found that it was mainly just myself coming into work on a daily basis, leading me to consider downsizing and moving out. I chose to join a larger co-working space and hot-desk.
What brought you back?
Hot-desking was certainly an experience! Although the co-working space I joined had a lot of facilities, I found that a lot of the time, I was limited to a small desk in a crowded area without much privacy or peace and quiet to focus. This atmosphere simply didn’t suit the way in which I worked and I found myself having to book out quieter workspaces at an extra cost. A lot of my day to day work revolves around financial advisory with businesses. Therefore, I needed a level of confidentiality when discussing financial matters which was often not possible at a large co-working space.
I, therefore, returned to AW and signed up for a private office. This combination of a small office space and larger communal areas was the perfect blend. It allowed me the confidentiality and focus I required, with the social benefits of co-working.
Have you got any big 2021 plans in the pipeline?
I’m feeling optimistic about 2021 and I know that a lot of businesses that we talk to feel the same. Therefore, we have decided to launch a whole new arm to NumberNomads, in which we will take a more active role in early-stage investment in small businesses. This new angle to the business will mean that we require a larger team. Luckily, working out of AW gives us a platform to grow and potentially move into bigger, more private office space if necessary. NumberNomads is going to get a whole lot bigger than a guy and a laptop hot-desking in a crowded co-working space!
That’s all Sam. Let’s hope 2021 is a big one!
We love to see how our members are growing with us over the long run and try our best to assist them in this process. Sometimes companies need to downsize to just a couple members or upsize to an entire office. Our range of membership options caters for every need and we are flexible and accommodating when these needs change.
