Legal luminary Richard Almond, Partner at Almond + Company, is a distinguished presence in our 11 York Street community. Always sporting a friendly smile, Richard’s positive outlook and knack for engaging conversations make him a joy to work with. Here, he discusses the importance of being part of a vibrant and professional culture for developing genuine connections.
Tell us a little bit about your business.
At Almond + Company, we help and guide businesses to navigate the complex, ever-changing commercial and legal world. With our expertise and commitment to practical, effective solutions we help our clients meet their needs, maximise their objectives and grow. We are a positive, caring business that believes everybody matters, driving success for our clients.
What milestones or challenges has your business experienced in the last year?
There is a difficult corporate headwind with most businesses facing rising costs. The record slump in listings on the London Stock Exchange has slowed down the growth and frothiness of one division of our business.
We have designed from the ground up a new operating system meaning we are now able to offer personal expert services to our clients but with the efficiencies that our integrated practice management system gives us. To us, this is an important step to becoming ever better digitally, whilst remaining a team-first business.
How important is finding a workspace that reflects your company image?
Vital. Whilst fewer meetings take place in person, when they do happen, it is ever more important that these meetings take place in the right environment, accompanied by the appropriate hospitality. It is also important that our team is part of a vibrant, well-managed ecosystem with other well-managed businesses.
What were your biggest pain points with other office providers?
The quality of the shared spaces we saw before Gilbanks fell below the quality standards that we aim to offer our clients. Many of the alternatives appear to prioritise creating a party atmosphere over developing genuine connections and productive working environments.
What initially attracted you to Gilbanks at 11 York Street?
It was a brand new office space and the sketches of the floor plans were great. The team helped tailor our space exactly to our requirements, so we were convinced we would be well looked after here.
What would you say makes Gilbanks stand out from the other serviced office providers?
Gilbanks delivers a personalised service, making us feel like an integral part of the ecosystem and nothing seems too much trouble.
