Office Space Options: Serviced Office Space
The following is the sixth in our series focusing on providing information on the various types of office space available, from business parks to hot desking and project space, business incubators, conventional office accommodation to virtual office space options, managed offices to shared co-working options.
Typically located in business districts of larger cities, serviced offices are becoming more of a standard and less of a trend for today’s small business owner. And why not? Renting a serviced office space cuts down on a number of issues and costs associated with having an office. Most importantly, rental of a serviced office space provides an immediate solution to the office space problem.
The Whole Package
Serviced offices are ready to go as soon as you sign the agreement. There is very little delay between deciding to open an office and actually having an office ready for business.
Serviced offices are usually rented on a month to month basis, as opposed to the long term three to five year commitment of a traditional office space lease. The monthly rent may appear to be slightly higher than the traditional lease price, but the whole package aspect of serviced offices makes them a better deal. New businesses, start-ups, and small businesses may neglect to calculate the additional costs of furnishings, equipment, and staff when they consider opening an office. The whole package concept eliminates the worry of those forgotten expenses.
Rental costs frequently include the costs of:
Furnishings
Businesses can begin straight to work on the first day without any delays waiting for deliveries of desks, lamps, bookshelves, or chairs. A serviced office includes all of these. In addition, conference rooms, kitchens, meeting spaces, and other shared amenities are available as needed. Conference rooms, for example, can be rented by the hour as an addendum to your office space lease.
Equipment
The rental of a serviced office includes communication systems, phone and internet, as well as IT services. Inclusion of these systems and equipment provides immediate access to technology needs without waiting for contractors and installation. In some cases, serviced offices provide receptionist services as well. Business owner’s benefit from onsite access to the technology equipment needed to run an efficient office.
Staff
With serviced offices there’s no need to hire additional tech support staff they are included in the rent. Many serviced offices are located in buildings that also offer switchboard or receptionist services, so small business owners do not need to hire a receptionist. Also included in the rental price are building or office maintenance, security services, and janitorial services.
Pay as You Go
Leases for serviced offices usually run on a month to month basis, unlike traditional office leases, which can require that long term commitment. The pay as you go concept allows small or new companies to instantly establish a presence in the marketplace without the risk attached to the less flexible and long term lease of a conventional office.
Serviced offices are worthy of consideration for any business. Start-ups can incubate their business, growing firms can house their overflow, and established companies can set up a branch office in a new location, all in the safety of a serviced office space. Today’s business world requires companies to be flexible and able to respond to the ever changing economic environment.
