Inside Business First: Bright Stars Speech Therapy

Lynsey Birtwistle rents space at Business First, Burnley. Working with children, her business, Bright Stars Speech Therapy, occupies a bright and colourful unit which is worlds away from traditional, commercial office space.

We spoke to Lynsey about her business and why Business First is the ideal environment for her.

Tell us a little about your business.

Bright Stars Speech Therapy works with children ranging in ages from as young as 18 months, up to 18 years old. These children have a range of communication, speech and language difficulties.

I see children who stammer, children with autism, children who struggle with their intelligibility and children who are slow to talk and struggle learning words and making sentences.

My office is used as a clinic before and after school hours. I also work in many local schools.

Sessions are designed to be fun and engaging and I have worked hard to create a child-friendly environment in my office. Here, the children feel relaxed and work to the best of their ability.

How long have you been at Business First?

I’ve been here at Business First since August 2012.

Why did you choose to base your business here?

The location is good for getting out to the schools I cover and it’s close to the M65 motorway, for people travelling to me.

I like the fact I feel safe, no matter when I'm here. Even when I come back in an evening and hardly anyone else is in. It’s safe and secure.

What are the benefits of working here to your business?

Having a serviced reception is great – the centre manager greets my clients and phones up to my office unit to let me know they’ve arrived. The car park is useful for clients. Again, the central location is key.

Which Business First facilities do you use?

I sometimes use the on-site gym, which is free for tenants.

Has working within the Business First community been useful to your company?

Yes, I’ve been able to source companies to provide telephone services and branded stationery from within the centre.

Do your clients respond well to the environment?

Speaking about my premises, the parents of one of my young clients said: “My son loves to go there. The fact it is a private space and all therapy activities involve different toys and games makes him feel at home and not like he is in a clinic or office space.”

For more information, visit www.brightstarsspeechtherapy.co.uk

If you're looking for affordable office space in Burnley, please get in touch with the Business First Burnley centre manager on burnley@businessfirst.co.uk or 01282 686 699.

To find your nearest Business First centre, go to www.businessfirst.co.uk/locations