East Belfast Enterprise - City East Business Centre

Excellent networking breakfast. Well organized and left me excited by the conversations and connections I made. Reach out to EBE if you're a small business.

My experience at East Belfast Enterprise was very weird I have to say, from a hot-desking perspective. I never really write reviews but I feel compelled to do so in this case. Reading the reviews here it's clear that they do an awful lot of good in terms of coaching and mentoring for businesses and start-ups. The staff in the coffee shop are lovely and the space is excellent, I really liked it. However, the attitude displayed by some staff members and the way I was treated there was not pleasant. I'm a very easy going person and I try to see the best in everyone and get along with people but I was left flabbergasted by the way I was treated here. I do like to put my feet up on the desk when I am working, it's something I have done for years and in 35 years of working as an IT professional for Microsoft no-one has ever complained. It helps with my circulation and it's a habit I guess. After a couple of weeks there (in March) I received an email from the receptionist stating: "We have recently received a complaint from building management regarding an incident in the co-working space where feet were placed on a desk" and informing me that this was in breach of the code of conduct for using the building. So fair enough, I stopped putting my feet up. Then last week, during a particularly stressful period with work, 2 months after the first email, I did start putting my feet up on an old chair beside me that no-one used and I confess I may have put my feet on the desk once, before catching myself on and taking them off again. The next day I received another email, complete with CCTV footage of my feet up, basically informing me that my contract was terminated because of this. Check out the attached "evidence" and the lots of people around me who I was allegedly inconveniencing.... I asked them to re-consider and also asked if I could maybe bring a small stool into the office to place under the desk for my feet but this was refused and I was told that they would not reconsider and that my contract would not be renewed. This was all done via email I might add, although the receptionist could easily have talked to me and maybe we could have had a discussion, she walked past my desk on a regular basis but never said a word to me. I have never been made to feel so unwelcome anywhere and the atmosphere and the communication style was formal almost to the point of hostility. My face didn't fit for some reason I guess. Anyway, I'm now in a new hotdesking facility, with my feet comfortably on the desk and no-one has an issue with it. And again, it's clear they do a lot of great work. But if you are considering it for hot-desking my advice would be: Don't.

The Go Succeed program in itself was invaluable to me as a brand new small business owner. I was lucky enough to get Clare as my mentor and i couldn't have asked for more. I received incredible support and advice from Clare and she gave me the confidence to open my business and grow my accounts on social media. I can now proudly say that my business is open for business and I've hit 3000 followers on Tik Tok. I couldn't have done it by myself so if you're considering starting a business, don't miss out on the free advice and support that Go Succeed can offer you and your business.

It was a incredible opportunity to be guided by Clare, starting a new business can be confusing and difficult but she helped me through the process informing me, giving me insights and ideas and most of all, encouraging me! I finished my mentoring confident and excited to put everything in practice. Thanks Clare 🫶🏽

I’ve had a great experience with the Go Succeed programme at East Belfast Enterprise, especially working with Clare as my mentor. With her support, my confidence in developing my business has really grown. Clare is so approachable and her advice is always honest and incredibly valuable. She really takes the time to understand your business goals and help you move forward. I’d highly recommend Clare and the programme to anyone starting or growing a business. Thank you Clare for everything! 😊