A new coworking space has opened in central Manchester, and its pricing will turn heads among cost-conscious SMEs. Workspace provider Orbit Spaces has expanded its District site at 55 King Street into a full flexible workspace. Alongside meeting rooms and an event venue, District now offers a new flexible coworking space with day passes from £10 and monthly membership at £50. For any small business weighing up the cost of an office, it is a timely alternative.
The launch reflects a clear shift in how businesses want to work. Firms increasingly want flexibility without the burden of managing their own premises. This article looks at what the memberships include, and why they may work out cheaper than a lease.
Why Manchester, and Why Now
The expansion answers a demand Orbit could no longer ignore. Since opening its first meeting room at District (55 King Street), the provider watched bookings from Manchester businesses climb month after month. At peak times, clients were turned away because there was simply no space left. The new coworking desks, collaborative lounge and event venue open that bottleneck, bringing more options together under one central roof.
A spokesperson and co-founder of Orbit Spaces explained the thinking behind the move. “It’s really important to us to create spaces that local businesses and our existing clients can both make use of,” they said. “This expansion into the city centre of Manchester, in the prestigious building of 55 King Street, gives us just that.” The aim, they added, is to make what the brand does well available to more Manchester businesses.
Affordable Coworking Memberships from £50 a Month
For most small businesses, the £50 monthly membership is the option that makes the most sense. It gives access to the coworking hub five days a week, with fast wifi, private call booths, and free refreshments included. Members also get discounts off all meeting room bookings, which matters for anyone who meets clients regularly. It is the kind of predictable, all-in cost a growing SME can budget around with confidence.
Access also extends to Orbit’s other coworking sites in Stockport, Bolton and Warrington. For anyone who splits their week across the region, one membership covers all three. There is no long contract, and the fee is one simple monthly payment. These affordable coworking memberships turn workspace from a fixed cost into a flexible one.
Flexible Access from £10 a Day
Not every business needs a desk five days a week. The £10 day pass suits freelancers, remote workers and teams who only need occasional space. It buys a full day in the professional environment, with the same wifi and refreshments as members enjoy. There is no commitment beyond the day itself.
It also works as a trial. Anyone curious about the space can spend a day there before committing to a membership. A coworking day pass is a sensible first step for businesses testing whether coworking suits their team. Many members start this way and move up once the habit sticks.
The Fixed Desk Option
For those who want a permanent base, a dedicated desk membership is available at £150 a month. It reserves a desk exclusively for the member, complete with monitor and laptop dock, and adds free locker storage and business address registration. It suits established freelancers and small teams who want consistency without a private office. All prices exclude VAT, and enterprise packages are available.
How Much Could Your Business Save?
This is where the numbers get interesting for SMEs. A traditional office lease bundles together rent, business rates, utilities, broadband, insurance, cleaning and fit-out. Each is a separate cost and a separate admin job. A coworking membership replaces the lot with one monthly fee, starting at £50 per person.
Hybrid working sharpens the comparison further. If your team is in the office two or three days a week, a leased space sits half-empty while you pay for all of it. A membership only charges for the days people actually use. A five-person team could be based in central Manchester for £250 a month before VAT. Set against the true cost of a city-centre lease, the saving is substantial.
There is a flexibility benefit too, beyond the headline figure. A membership scales up when you hire and down when priorities change, with no lease to break. In an economy where conditions shift quickly, that adjustability has real value. It removes the long-term property risk that has sunk many otherwise healthy small businesses.
A Prime City-Centre Location
Location is a large part of the appeal. Manchester is one of the UK’s strongest business cities, with a dense professional community and a thriving startup scene. A central base puts members among other businesses, which generates the networking and referrals that an isolated office never will. For firms building a presence in the North West, the city is a natural home.
The 55 King Street address adds to that. It sits in the heart of the city centre, within easy reach of Manchester’s tram, rail and bus links. Clients arriving for meetings find a prestigious, well-connected location. Staff commuting from across Greater Manchester and beyond reach it without difficulty. For a business that wants a serious city-centre footing without a serious city-centre lease, the position is hard to beat.
A Flexible Alternative for Manchester’s SMEs
The expanded District (55 King Street) offers Manchester businesses a genuine alternative to the office lease. From a £10 day pass to a £50 monthly membership, the model is built around flexibility and value.
The space is open now. Businesses interested in a membership, a day pass or a look around can find out more through flexible workspace provider Orbit Spaces. For any SME rethinking its workspace costs this year, it is worth a look before renewing a lease.
