A creative agency has completed a big investment in its East Midlands studio as its staff adapt to a combination of on-site and home working.
Fluid moved into the converted Darley Abbey Mills – a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Derby – in 2010.
Since then staff numbers have grown from seven to 50.
The business, which offers services including graphic and website design, 3D animation and video, photography, copywriting and digital marketing, has invested £175,000 in the premises over the past three years to make way for its rapid growth and evolving working environment.
Changes include three new meeting and the introduction of hot-desking to support a more agile and collaborative approach to projects. There have also been improvements to its technological infrastructure.
The agency celebrated its 18 th birthday in January and posted record annual revenues of £3.2 million in the year to November, boosted by increased business from existing clients and a raft of new wins.
Joint managing director Ed Bowler said: “The pandemic has proved that the old ways aren’t the only ways of working.
“Our team has expanded both in size and geographically and, in many ways, the studio has become even more important in creating a central hub where people can connect and collaborate.
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“We’ve proved that we can be successful working remotely, but we also believe the best work happens together.
“Being in the studio means colleagues can be energised by one another and feel part of something bigger – there’s a chemistry that you just can’t recreate on Teams or Zoom.
“However, this isn’t just about the practicalities of studio working – here’s an emotional side to it too.
“We want our team to feel proud when they walk through the door, and we want our clients to feel like they belong here just as much as we do.
“That approach seems to be resonating, as more and more of the brands we work with are choosing our studio for their own board meetings or creative sessions.
“It brings us closer together, and it means they benefit from fresh surroundings, which in turn can stimulate new ideas.”
Fluid Ideas’ client base spans sectors including healthcare, retirement living, property, professional services, education, finance, leisure and hospitality.
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