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City Guide - Glasgow - Business | ||
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Business Business Profile: Once known for the massive shipbuilding yards on the banks of the Clyde and its giant locomotive works, Glasgow was one of the engines of the industrial revolution. Today, however, it is spearheading an altogether different revolution, with increasing strengths in the IT and service sectors. Currently, 79% of the metropolitan working population are employed in the service industry, with 14% in the manufacturing sector (nearly half of which is in engineering) and 6% in construction. Glasgow is generally recognised as the UK's call centre capital and is developing an ever stronger profile in areas of high technology, accounting services, technology-based financial operations, and scientific and technological research - centred around the West of Scotland Science Park. A growing number of companies are based in the city, including British Telecom, Clydesdale Bank, Compaq, Direct Line Insurance, IBM, Scottish Mutual Assurance, Scottish Power, Seagram Distillers and Stakis Plc. The city is also home to the head offices and studios of BBC Scotland, Scottish Television and Channel 4's 'Nations and Regions' office. Developments in the increasingly strong creative and media industries include the creation of synergies such as the Scottish Media Group. Glasgow is the commercial, retail, leisure and educational centre for half of Scotland's population. The city's GDP was just less than 8.8 billion Pounds in 1996. The metropolitan area has a workforce of half a million people. Unemployment was at 7.6% in 1997; higher than the Scottish and UK averages, but dropping at a faster rate. The workforce is increasingly multi-lingual and includes a high number of university graduates. The city's central business district falls within the G1 and G2 post codes, around West George Street, St Vincent Street and Bothwell Street. There are also a number of business parks in the outskirts. Rents for prime office space are around £188 per sq metre (£17.50 per sq ft), however mid-range rents average around £140-150 per sq metre (£13-14 per sq ft). The city has one of the most advanced fibre-optic telecommunications networks in Europe, and ISDN connections are readily available. Business Etiquette: Businesspeople travelling to Glasgow should find no surprises in the way that business is carried out. The atmosphere is a little more relaxed than in cities such as London, though normal standards of business attire apply, and punctuality is important. Glasgow is increasingly becoming a 24-hour city though most companies still tend towards standard business hours (0900-1700). The best times of year to visit Glasgow for business purposes are from September to December and from mid-January to June. |