Chelsea Bloom on the risk factor that doesn’t show up in a standard property prospectus CANARY WHARF — A commercial real estate analyst I’ve spoken to for years, at a fund that manages a substantial London-focused property portfolio, told me something last month that surprised […]
London Office Rents Are Climbing the Same Ladder as Home Rents, Just One Rung Behind
Chelsea Bloom on why the commercial market is starting to look uncomfortably like the residential one FARRINGDON — A commercial letting agent I’ve known for years has a line he trots out at every renewal: “Office rent follows residential rent up the hill about eighteen […]
Why That 8am Networking Breakfast Started at 8:22, and What It’s Costing London Business
Chelsea Bloom follows the unglamorous economics of a delayed commute THE CITY — The invitation said 8am sharp. By 8:22, four of the eleven guests still hadn’t arrived, and the host, a venture capital associate who organises these breakfasts monthly, had stopped apologising on their […]
The Planning Committee Took Longer to Decide Than the Business It Was Approving Has Existed
Chelsea Bloom on a change-of-use application that outlasted its own applicant’s patience ISLINGTON — Dev Patel opened his logistics consultancy in a rented office above a former print works six years ago. He applied that same year to convert a derelict unit next door into […]
Small Business Confidence in London Is Being Squeezed by Three Invoices Nobody Elected
Chelsea Bloom on a survey that quietly confirms what shopkeepers have said for years WOOD GREEN — A trade body survey of small and medium businesses across North London, shared with me ahead of publication, found confidence in the local trading environment at its lowest […]