REGUS, the flexible workspace provider, is planning to expand in Liverpool.

It currently provides space for 40 companies on two floors in Horton House, Exchange Flags, with tenants ranging from IT firms to a tree surgeon, but it is seeking similar Grade A office space in the city to meet a growing demand, said spokesman Henry Collinge.

Regus has centres in Chester, Warrington and nine in Manchester, but Mr Collinge said: “We’re looking for expansion in this area and we’re seeing inquiries and drive for our centres, particularly for start-up businesses.”

He said they hoped to identify a suitable location in the New Year.

Regus offers a variety of packages from a virtual entry product with a receptionist, address and mail sorting to a campus office, offering a desk and cabinet in an open plan with other businesses.

Mr Collinge said: “It’s a community-based space and your neighbours can sometimes help you out. For example, someone was having problems with tax and they just turned to the person opposite them who was able to sort things out because they had been through the same thing.”

The company also offers more traditional space with leases from six months to one or two years.

Bigger clients are also switching to Regus as they look to change working patterns, and said business directory Yell shut their premises in Preston and issued staff with Regus cards.

“Their team moves around our centres and it has saved Yell £1.5m a year and given them a 15% productivity increase because they are not commuting so far,” he said.

“They do the same hours but less of a commute, and we’re seeing that style of working growing.”

But he said their smaller virtual service, is ideal for small firms looking to expand abroad, particularly in China where Regus has 35 centres.

Mr Collinge said a Liverpool firm could open a virtual office in China, with access to a local receptionist: “We can set that up in a couple of days.”

Further expansion is planned in partnership with train companies and motorway service station operators who could host a Regus business lounge.

In a separate survey of clients, Regus said pressure on working hours was growing, but with some key differences between regions. In Liverpool, 17% of clients are clocking up days of more than 11 hours, compared with 11% in Manchester. But 49% of Manchester firms will take work home to finish in the evening at least three times a week, compared with just 17% in Liverpool.